Hi guys! So WOW this ones a monster! I think it's the longest chapter of the story so far. Just to give a heads up there is some cannon elements in this part, but you should be fine even if you're not familiar with the Walking Dead but still just to let you know :) Thanks once again to all those who are reading, faving, following and reviewing ( I love it when you do the last one X) I appreciate all of your interest and I'm just happy you checked out the story. So enough dallying. Enjoy! D.S x
Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or The Walking Dead. Any OC's are mind though.
Crossroads
Part Eleven
The church was full by the time Dean and Kid got there. The civilians of Alexandria all coming to Rick's call. Dean had ushered himself and Kid into a pew in the middle, they were quickly joined by Eric and Aaron. Both looked unsure, along with most of the others that were sat waiting nervously. Dean noticed Rick's core group was keeping back. Carl was sat near the front, though Michonne was close to one of the walls, eyes hooded. Glenn and Maggie were leaning into each other, hands entwined, each with their own anxious expressions. Sasha was stood with a tall ginger haired man, Dean thought his name was Abraham, while a small Latin looking woman stood close by. The hunter's eyes finally found Daryl, loitering near the door. He seemed the most nervous out of all of Rick's group, his face hidden by his hair, but his tense shoulders and twitching fingers gave away his anxiety. A creak of a door opening was the only signal they had to Rick's arrival. He stalked in from the back of the church, followed by a bald black man. Dean's gaze instantly tracked to the dog collar around the man's neck. Religion had been one of the things he never thought would survive the apocalypse, it required faith and if one thing was always lost when it came to life and death it was faith. Rick took up position before them, face a blank slate that Dean couldn't read.
"So, we went to this community," that got a few people muttering, but they were quickly shushed by Rick's hard glare. "They had crops, live stock, it's a nice place and they're willing to trade." He stopped a moment, letting his words sink in. Dean could see the excitement in some of the Alexandrian's faces. Food was an issue, no one knew how to grow crops, they had no live stock to speak of. They relied on scavenging for their food and it was a source that risked lives and wasn't an infinite resource. "But they have a problem," the smiles vanished and Rick fixed a serious eye on the group. "They're being threatened by this group, that call themselves the Saviours." Dean jerked, his gut clenching, he recognised that name. From the group in Louisa, that was the name of their group. Dean glanced at Kid, the boy was focused on Rick, not having noticed Dean's shock. The hunter took a deep breath, trying to centre himself. It was a coincidence, it meant nothing. So what if he ran into some of this group before, no one knew who they were apart from Dean and he wasn't going to go around telling anybody. "They want us to deal with the problem, take out their leader, then they'll be able to trade with us." The Alexandrian's all looked at each other, Aaron held tight onto Eric's hand, moving closer, while others shifted, all as frightened as each other. "I know this will be hard, but we have to do this. If we want to move forward, if we want to survive, we have to fight for it." Rick's words got more passionate as he spoke, Dean noticed the reactions of the crowd. Some set their faces into grim determination, spurred on by Rick's speech. Though others appeared more unsure, the hunter found Spencer Monroe, he was sat near the back, away from most of the crowd. Dean could feel the disapproval and anger coming from the young man, directed right at Rick, who didn't appear to notice or care. "We'll find these Saviours and we'll kill them. That's the way it's got to be."
"Can't there be another way?" someone asked. "We could talk to these Saviours, strike our own deal."
"If ya' wanna end up dead, that would be a good idea," Daryl growled from the back.
"These guys wouldn't be interested in talking," Rick agreed, sending a small nod to Daryl.
"Have you even tried?" Spencer muttered, which got him a number of glares from Rick's inner group, so he was quickly silenced.
"I know it's not what we want to do," Rick said, back to addressing the whole group. "But it's what we have to do." He left the words hanging, allowing the Alexandrian's to accept it. Dean didn't know what to feel, he didn't want to go hunting for anyone, not if he could help it. He may be a hunter, but that was for monsters, creatures and all the dark freaky things that prayed on humans. He wasn't a butcher. "We'll storm their base and deal with them quickly," Rick explained, giving a broad plan, knowing that most of the people in the room would not be involved with sorting out the finer details. "We'll deal with this quickly." Those words were all the dismissal that the group needed, standing up and moving out of the church. Dean however sat there, watching Rick as he crossed the room to talk to Carl. Michonne, not far behind him, swiftly followed by Daryl, moving from the door in order to avoid the rush out of the church. The hunter felt a tug on his coat, he looked down to see Kid frowning at him. Dean shook his head before the boy could speak, he didn't want to deal with the child's questions here, where everyone could hear.
"Aaron," Dean heard Eric whisper, and he glanced to the side to see the two also watching Rick, though his eyes turned to Aaron who had his own brow furrowed.
"I know, don't worry about it." Eric snorted, finally seeming to noticed Dean's gaze and smiled.
"Lets go," the four of them got to their feet and started to shuffle out of their pew. Dean gripped Kid's shoulder, pushing him in front of him. Though they didn't get far before Dean's name was called.
"Dean!" the hunter gritted his teeth and forced a smile onto his face.
"Rick?" he said, turning to address the man. Rick stalked right up to them, stopping as his eyes fell on Kid.
"Can I talk to you?" Dean frowned, he didn't want to talk if he was being honest. He didn't know what he would say to the man, he was finding it hard just to keep his mouth shut as it was.
"Sure. Kid, go back to the house."
"But, Dean ..."
"Kid," Dean squeezed the boy's shoulder, though he kept the smile on his face and his voice calm. Kid didn't need another queue though, he set his face into that blank expression Dean was becoming too familiar with and nodded. Dean released the boy, letting him walk away. Rick jerked his head and the two moved further towards the back of the church, away even from Rick's core group, who loitered, some looking on with curiosity. "What's up?" Dean asked. Rick stared at him a moment.
"How do you feel about this?" Dean, though surprised by the question kept the expression from crossing his face. He shrugged.
"What does it matter what I think?" the hunter hedged his answer, watching Rick carefully. The leader of Alexandria shifted, directing his gaze to the floor before looking at Dean from the corner of his eye.
"Well, you live here."
"Do I?" Rick just raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"The boy's shoulder is healed, you've been out scouting enough to know the area. You've looked at maps and I'm pretty sure if you wanted to take the kid and run, you would have done so by now." Dean said nothing, his silence was enough though. He shrugged.
"I think it's a risk, you don't know anything about this other group. What their numbers are, how big they are. The basics." Rick nodded his head, as he hunched his shoulders in thought.
"I know, but what other choice do we have?"
"Don't trade."
"That's not an option," Rick quickly cut off that line of thought and it was followed up with a glare. Dean backed off, but he wasn't cowed, he'd faced harsher looks in his life. Rick sighed, "I know it's risky."
"Hell yeah," Dean muttered.
"But it's a risk we have to take. We could take over the Hilltop."
"Hilltop?" Dean asked with a raised eyebrow.
"That's what they call themselves," Rick explained.
"They set on a hill?" that got him a scowl but Dean just smirked.
"We could take them over, but that would mean splitting ourselves up. And only Maggie has any experience with crops and farming, we can't just rely on her to keep things in line." Dean had to agree with that. He didn't know where the Hilltop was, but it would be dangerous to split up the Alexandrian's. "Working with them and taking care of these Saviours would be best for them and us."
"What do they know about them?" Dean asked. He was curious, he had to admit. From what he had seen, they were organised and skilled. He thought for a moment about telling Rick about the Louisa group, who he thought for sure was connected to the Wendigo group. They'd both mentioned a Sanctuary. To weird to be coincidence. Maybe then he could get the man to change his mind about this plan. But that would mean explaining why he hadn't said anything earlier, especially when Daryl had quizzed him after. He would be digging his own grave.
"The Saviours have been dealing with the Hilltop for a while," Rick spoke before Dean could think about his dilemma any more.
"What kind of deal do they have?" Dean questioned and Rick shrugged.
"They give them part of what they have, crops, livestock and the Saviours protect them." Dean snorted.
"What are these guys, a gang?" Rick shrugged.
"Who knows, but if we don't sort this out, the Hilltop can't trade with us." Dean sighed, shaking his head.
"You've already decided," he said. "I can't talk you out of this and I don't think you wanted to talk to me to try."
"No," Rick admitted, setting his gaze on Dean's face. "I know you said that you would only be stopping temporary, but I want you to stay until we've dealt with this. It would be safer for everyone. You understand." Dean said nothing, just taking in Rick's words. It felt strange, he and Kid had finally decided to stay in Alexandria, or at least use it as a base. But now, with all this, Dean wanted to run, get back to Bobby's house and hold up. But that came with it's own set of risks. He'd already had a run in with these Saviours, he'd been lucky to scare them off, but next time he might not be so lucky and he would have Kid with him. Even if he didn't agree with Rick's plans, he had to admit that Alexandria was probably the safest place for the two of them to stay, regardless of how things turned out. Dean brought himself out of his thoughts and gave Rick a shit eating grin.
"Well, lucky for you we've decided to stay a while longer," the words took Rick aback. "We've talked about it, and we think maybe waiting until after winter would be the best thing to do. So, you'll have no issues from us." Dean watched at Rick swallowed his words. He was unsure of how they would be received, he was practically saying that they would be sticking around for more of the long term. While he knew that some in Alexandria wouldn't have a problem with that, Eric, Aaron, even Maggie. But Rick was a whole other story. Rick looked at the ground, turning his head away so that Dean couldn't see his face.
"Good," Dean twitched as he caught sight of what he could have sworn was a slight smile, but it wasn't clear enough for him to be sure. "That'll save us having something else to worry about." Dean nodded and moved to walk away, but Rick wasn't done. "I'd like you to come with us, when we storm this base or compound, wherever these Saviours are held up." Dean froze, his mind stuttering as it processed what he had been asked. Rick was giving him a calculating look, but Dean was well schooled at hiding any reaction.
"Why?" the hunter asked, hoping to by himself more thinking time.
"You're a good fighter, don't look at me like that, I know you can hold your own, Daryl told me."
"Should learn to keep his mouth shut," Dean mumbled, though Rick didn't seem to care about what he had to say.
"I get that you don't agree with what we're going to do, but you know that it's what we have to do. If these guys come at us, they'll kill us. You, me, Carl, Kid," Dean winced at the last name and sent a glare Rick's way, but the man just seemed solemn, stating facts that he thought Dean needed to hear. "We need to cut off the head before it can turn it's attention on us, and I want you there with us, you could save some lives." Dean wanted to scream, to deny what Rick was saying and storm off. He didn't want to be involved with killing humans. He was a hunter, he didn't kill humans, that wasn't what he was trained to do. Sure, he knew that sometimes, humans messed with things that they shouldn't have, he'd seen spirits, monsters and creatures take their revenge and kill humans right before his eyes, but that didn't mean that he had to be the one to pull the trigger. But, as he had already seen in this world, the lines had been blurred. Walkers, while a threat, could be defeated, humans though could still think, plan and attack. Hadn't he seen what people are willing to do in order to survive in this world? Images of Atlanta came to his head, of Doc and the cops and Beth. Dead Beth that couldn't move on because of what had been done to her, trapped in that hospital. He didn't want that to happen to anyone else, not if he could help it, even if what he had to do left a bad taste in his mouth. He levelled a harsh look at Rick before he spoke evenly.
"Kid stays out of this, and I don't want to kill unless I have to." Rick blinked, eyes widening.
"We'd never bring the boy into this," Rick said, shock and revulsion clear. His gaze turned to his own son, Carl, who was talking to Michonne. "The kids will stay here, all of them." Dean nodded, satisfied. "Though, you might find that you won't be able to be so picky about who you want to kill."
"I don't want to do it in cold blood."
"You might not have a choice," Rick said, bluntly. "Sometimes you have to stop something before it starts, because if you don't, you'll end up loosing something that you could have saved." Dean furrowed his brow at the man, who clapped him on the shoulder lightly. "I'll get Aaron to tell you when we're ready." He walked away, leaving Dean alone as he re-joined his core group, who began filtering out before their leader. Dean let them go, content to stand alone in the church and process. The quiet was comforting, though it did allow for the hunter's thoughts to spiral. Just the idea of him going out to deliberately kill people, it made Dean feel sick. It was different from hunting, at least to Dean it was. Others would probably not see a difference between the two, but Dean had learned to draw a line. Because with hunting, it was easy to cross, to stray into that line of thinking that some humans didn't deserve to be saved and that a hunter had the duty to make them pay. Dean had seen plenty go down that road, having hunted too long that they could no longer tell the difference between monsters and humans. Most had ended up dead themselves, having taken one hunt to many and just not come back. While others had been dealt with by other hunters, who couldn't ignore what they were doing anymore.
"Son of a bitch."
"Swearing in the house of the Lord is a little disrespectful, don't you think?" Dean jumped, spinning to pin down the black priest stood in the shadows. The man was watching him, his face expressionless as he took in the hunter who was trying to gather himself.
"Sorry, Father," Dean plastered on a smile, hoping to cover up the cracks in his mask that might have slipped through. "Wasn't thinking."
"It's fine," the priest waved a hand, stepping closer to Dean. He had a calm and soothing presence, Dean had dealt with a few priests in his years as a hunter and all of them seemed to be able to project that feeling. Dean was sure it was a requirement for priesthood. "You seem disturbed."
"Who wouldn't be after a bombshell like that, Father ...?"
"Gabriel," the priest supplied with a small smile. Dean snorted.
"Like the angel?" he asked and Gabriel chuckled.
"Indeed. And yes, what was said was very disturbing, it was not the news that we wanted to hear, but the Lord has seen fit to test us."
"You think this is a test?" Dean asked. "That going out to kill this group is a test, of what, faith?"
"The Lord works in mysterious ways," Gabriel said. "He has allowed the plague to consume us and now we must work our way out of the mud and back into his grace. This is just another bump in the long road he has set before us." Dean couldn't stop the snort from coming out of his mouth.
"Yeah, whatever you say."
"You don't believe in God?"
"No offence Father, but I've never had a reason to," Dean said softly. Gabriel nodded, eyes furrowed in thought.
"That's understandable, He has not seen fit to give anyone cause to believe in him."
"Yeah, an apocalypse can make anyone unpopular," Dean muttered which made Gabriel laugh.
"It is a test of faith," he said. "How far will we go to survive, what will we do to become better, what must we sacrifice to build a new world." Dean gaped, surprised by the priests words. He was even more shocked when the man clasped his shoulder, almost in reassurance. "It's alright, my son, He will forgive us for what we must do. It is his will and we must follow that path, or what purpose would there be for all of this?" Dean said nothing, letting the priest walk away and leaving the hunter finally alone. As the door at the back closed Dean rubbed a hand over his face, eyes falling on the statue of Jesus, the typical one of him on the cross, head hung low with his crown of thorns.
"He's nuts, I hope you know that," Dean addressed the statue, who merely stood their silently. Sighing the hunter ran one last hand through his hair before walking out of the church. He didn't want to think about this anymore.
As the sun came up and the day started, Dean finally got up out of bed, having not really slept. He quietly made his way out of the room, snatching some clothes and the demon killing knife which he kept on his night stand as he headed for the shower, so as not to wake the still sleeping Kid. The boy had tried to help, crawling into bed with Dean as the night wore on. The hunter didn't know if Kid did it because he was being plagued with his own nightmares, or was trying to offer some comfort to Dean, but he was thankful either way. The small, warm weight reminded him that he wasn't alone, that he had something that he was fighting for, that wasn't just getting back to Sammy, which seemed to be getting further and further from him. Dean hadn't told Kid all the details when he had come back after the meeting in the church, it was enough that he knew that Dean was going with Rick and the gang to kill the Saviours. Dean was grateful that Kid didn't probe, only asking if he was alright before dropping the subject. Letting the hunter deal with everything himself, but at least reminding him, in his own way that he was there. Dean swiftly showered, not wanting to stay in the hot water, he didn't want to relax too much, he didn't think he had it in him at the moment. He changed, taking care to be sure the demon killing knife was secure on his belt before slipping out and downstairs to the kitchen. He eyed the fridge, but didn't make a move towards it, the thought of food made him feel sick. He sat on one of the stools around the breakfast bar, hands rested in front of him as the sounds of Alexandria waking up filtered through the windows. He didn't know how long he sat there, but the knocking of someone on his door startled him from the quiet contemplation. Standing he crossed to the hallway and to the front door. As he opened it he wasn't surprised to find Aaron stood on his front porch, a frown on his face as he stared at the hunter.
"You look like shit," he stated.
"I feel like it," Dean said, glancing back into the house, tracking up the stairs to where Kid was still sleeping, then down and into the living room where a rucksack sat waiting on the sofa.
"They're getting ready," Aaron said.
"I know."
"You should wake him," Dean flinched but stiffened his shoulders. Taking a breath he called.
"Oi, Kid! Get your lazy ass up!" his voice echoed back to him, as the two waited in silence for a response. A thud came, followed by the sound of pounding feet on the floor above. Suddenly Kid appeared at the top of the stairs, loose fitting clothes that made up his sleep wear rumpled and creased. Blonde hair a birds nest as he rubbed his eyes to try and rid himself of his tiredness.
"Dean?" the boy mumbled, a yawn breaking free. "What ...?"
"It's time, Kid," Dean said it loud enough for the boy to hear from the top of the stairs. The effect was instant, the sleepiness vanished from Kid's face and he blinked down at the hunter and Aaron, who was watching the interaction. His spine stiffened and his shoulders tensed and Kid sent Dean a small nod.
"I'll be down in a minuet," he said before dashing off out of sight. Dean sighed and shook his head.
"He ok?" Aaron asked and Dean shrugged.
"I don't know."
"He understand what's going on?" Dean snorted at that.
"Of course he does, he's not stupid."
"He's eight, Dean," Aaron reasoned with a serious look. "He might not get ..."
"He's seen enough of the real world that he knows what we're doing," Dean cut the man off. Turning to once again face him. "You in on the plan?" Aaron frowned at the dismissal, but shook his head in answer to Dean's second question.
"No, Rick kept it to Daryl, Glenn, Michonne and Maggie. Can't believe he let Maggie in."
"Why?" Aaron raised an eyebrow.
"You know she's pregnant, right?" Dean's eyes widened a little and he angled his body away.
"No way, her?" he said. "No wonder she was pissed about her underwear, pregnancy hormones." Dean placed a smile on his face, hoping it was enough to fool Aaron. But the man was canny, picking up on the false cheer with a concerned look.
"I'm sure they ..."
"Kid's here," Dean said, glancing to boy who was bounding down the stairs. He'd shoved on some jeans and a shirt, his hair was brushed so it didn't look so much of a mess. The torn up trainers were barely on his feet, the laces hanging off to the side where he hadn't tied them. Kid almost tripped down the last couple of steps as he came to a stop before Dean. The hunter reached out to steady him, making sure he didn't fall flat on his face. "Tie your laces," he muttered, to which Kid sent him a pout, but did as he was told. Leaving Kid to finish getting ready, Dean headed for the living room, to his rucksack. Dean opened it and quickly fished out the gun he'd gotten from the pantry. He checked the clip, full, placing it at his belt, Dean made sure the demon killing knife was in it's usual placed before fastening up the rucksack, snatching it up from the sofa to shoulder it. By the time he was back Aaron was talking to Kid, who was fumbling with his second lace.
"You have to do it in a bow, then thread it through," Aaron was trying to explain, but Kid was scowling.
"I've tried that, it won't do it." Dean sighed as Kid pulled the laces in frustration. Hunkering down before the boy, Dean swatted Kid's hands aside and deftly tied the laces, even doing the first one, which had turned into a mass of knots from Kid's efforts. Once done, making sure to tie them in double bows, Dean stood up and ruffled Kid's hair.
"I'll teach you when I get back." Kid, glanced at his trainers, then looked up at Dean, a sceptical look on his face.
"You promise?" Dean stilled, he heard more than just the promise to teach him to tie his laces behind the question. No, there was too much emphasis on the word for that, along with the fearful, yet hope filled expression. Dean smirked, clipping the boy around the head lightly.
"Course I do, can't have you falling over your own feet."
"Dean, don't do that," Kid protested, but the hunter laughed and started to make his way out of the door and into the streets of Alexandria. It was quiet, but some were stood in their doorways, watching as people made their way down the street and towards the gate. Dean set the pace, not too fast, but he wasn't dawdling. Aaron took up a position on his right, while Kid ran ahead, stopping every now and then to wait for the two to catch up.
"Where's Eric?" Dean asked and noticed Aaron wince.
"At home."
"Why?"
"He didn't want to come." Dean raised an eyebrow.
"Doesn't sound like him," Dean said, shooting a significant look Aaron's way, who huffed.
"He's mad I wouldn't let him come," the recruiter admitted.
"He wanted to come in on this?" Dean asked surprised to which Aaron nodded. "Son of a bitch," Dean muttered. "I didn't think Eric would have it in him."
"He doesn't have it in him, that's the point," Aaron growled. "He used to recruit with me, but even that was getting dangerous, he doesn't know what it's like out there now."
"Is that because he's forgotten or you won't let him out of your house?" Dean said softly, but it still got him a glare.
"He's safer there."
"He just wants to be with you."
"Would you let Kid come with you on this if he asked?" Dean reared back as though struck. Aaron was scowling and his eyes were hard. Dean furrowed his own brow in annoyance, eyes flicking to find the boy, who was still running ahead.
"That's not the same."
"Isn't it?"
"He's just a boy," Dean admitted. "He shouldn't be involved with things like this."
"Thought you said he understood the harsh real world, had already seen all of it?" Aaron probed, his anger and frustration making him want to needle Dean all the more.
"That doesn't mean I want to expose him to more," Dean snapped. He picked up the pace, leaving Aaron behind as he caught up with Kid, who had stopped on the corner to wait for them. Not slowing Dean grabbed the boy's shoulder and dragged him on.
"Wait, what about Aaron?" Kid asked.
"He'll catch up," Dean mumbled and the two rounded the corner and the gate came into view. There were two caravans sat waiting, they were big enough that several people would be able to ride in them easily. Dean spotted Rick, he was stood with Daryl, Michonne, Jesus and a guy Dean didn't recognise.
"Wonder when he came back?" Dean muttered to himself, as he pulled Kid further towards the gathering. There were a number of others from Rick's core group, all of them were suited up and ready to go. Some Alexandrian's were milling around, talking quietly to each other, while others said goodbye to partners or family members that were going along for the ride. Dean saw Carl stood close to his Dad, the sheriffs hat covering most of his face, but his body langue showed how pissed he was. Dean took a deep breath, tightened his hold on Kid and walked forward. He was picked up quickly, Sasha gave him a nod, along with Carol, Maggie smiled and waved, then went back to talking with Glenn. Dean couldn't help but rake his gaze over the woman, she didn't look pregnant to his eyes, though then again, it's not as though Dean had anyone to compare her to. He didn't remember his Mom being pregnant with Sammy. Father Gabriel was talking to a few of the Alexandrian's, his own pack on his back, Dean was surprised the priest was going with them, he didn't seem the type to fight.
"Dean," the hunter turned at the sound of his name, walking up to Rick, who was watching him with hooded eyes. "You're late."
"You've not set off yet," Dean countered. Rick huffed, though he moved to glance at Kid, who was too busy looking around at the assembled force. "He's just here to see me off," Dean said. "Kid, why don't you go talk to Carl," the hunter gave the boy a push. Kid sent him a look, but Dean just narrowed his eyes and Kid did as directed.
"He been ok?" Daryl asked, sliding closer along with Michonne, Jesus and the new guy.
"He slept," was Dean's only answer, not willing to give too much away around people he wasn't sure off. He looked to Jesus, who was staring at Dean with a searching look. "You're Jesus, right? Heard your community is real, glad you're not mad." Dean extended a hand. If his hope was to take the man off guard, Dean was disappointed as Jesus smiled, gripping the offered appendage and shaking it once.
"Yeah, me too ...?"
"Dean," the hunter supplied. Jesus nodded.
"Jesus, but you know that. This is Andy," he jerked a thumb to the other guy who nodded. He seemed a little uneasy to Dean's eyes, as though he wanted to get out of there as fast as he could.
"Good to meet you," Dean said.
"We should get moving," Michonne intoned and Rick nodded.
"Yeah," he pushed through the small group, shouting to those assembled to get on the caravans.
"You got enough in there?" Michonne said to Dean, glancing at the rucksack on Dean's back.
"Went to the pantry late yesterday," Dean answered. He had gone to the pantry quiet late, grabbing a gun and some ammo. It had been hard to know what to take, how many bullets would he need to kill god knows how many people. Michonne flicked her gaze to the demon killing knife at Dean's belt, and the gun he had placed there. Dean had forgone the bludgeon, leaving it at home, preferring to stick to things that might give him some distance from his targets.
"Dean," the voice of Kid brought Dean from his thoughts, the boy was heading back towards him, weaving through those that were making their way onto the caravans. Michonne, glanced at the boy, then nodded to Dean before disappearing onto the first caravan. Daryl just stepped back, making sure to brush the boy's hair as he walked away, which got him a scowl. Dean waited for the boy to direct his attention back to him, it wasn't long, but he was surprised when Kid simply came right up to him and hugged him around the waist.
"Kid?"
"Try not to die," the boy said, his voice muffled by his face shoved into the hunters coat. "Even if it means killing some people, make sure you come back." Dean didn't know how to respond, taken aback by Kid's simple words. Luckily, Kid didn't seem to need Dean to say anything, he simply gave Dean one final hug before stepping back with a smile that filled his whole face. It looked painfully fake to Dean, but he wasn't about to tell Kid that. Instead he put his own show smile in place, not willing to show anything else in front of so many.
"Don't worry, I'll be back."
"You better," Dean laughed, though it was more like a sob, then with a wave he headed for the caravan and climbed on. It was quiet, people setting their gear down as they found places to sit. Some were against the windows, staring out at their families, some of who looked as though they were about to burst into tears. Dean avoided the window, not wanting to see Kid, as it would probably just make him even more uneasy. Instead he slid into a seat near the back, placing his rucksack on the floor before leaning back and closing his eyes.
"You ok?" Dean squinted open his eyes, turning his head to see Maggie looking at him with concern from the seat beside him.
"Yeah fine, just didn't sleep well," Dean admitted and Maggie nodded.
"I don't think anyone did," she said, glancing at Glenn next to her, who seemed lost in his own thoughts.
"Yeah, heard about the happy news though," Dean nodded to Maggie's stomach. "Congrats." The woman blushed, placing a hand over her lower stomach.
"I forgot you probably didn't know, I'm sorry."
"It's fine," Dean waved away the apology. "It explains why you were so pissed about Kid's prank though. I'll have to warn him not to cross you again, pregnant woman are worse than the wrath of god." Maggie laughed and the engine of the caravan roared into life. Slowly they started to pull out. Dean tried his best not to look out of the nearest window, but he lost the battle, his head turning automatically, eyes searching out Kid. He was stood with Carl, both watching the Caravan's make their way out of the gate. Dean was surprised to catch a glimpse of Eric coming up behind him and the hunter was glad when Kid looked away to turn his attention to the man. Soon the gate blocked off the view of Alexandria and they were on their way. It was quiet in the caravan, the atmosphere tense. Dean kept to himself, not willing to join in the mumbled conversations that some were engaging in, to take their minds off of what was going to happen. Dean didn't know how long they drove for, it could have been an hour, or even four. The hunter went off into his own world, that was away from the pressure and knowledge of what lay ahead of him. But that was broken when the caravan stopped and the engine was cut. The door opened and people began to file out.
"Dean?" Maggie said and the hunter waved off the hand that looked as though it was going to shake his shoulder.
"I'm coming," he said, grabbing his rucksack and following the couple out of the caravan where Rick was waiting for them.
"Listen up, in order to get into the Saviours compound, they need to think that the Hilltop has gone through with what they wanted."
"What did they want?" someone asked and Jesus and Andy winced.
"They want Gregory's head, he's the leader of Hilltop, in exchange for one of their people," Rick explained. Dean was surprised, it was a strange request for the Saviours to make, especially since they had a deal with the Hilltop already. Why would they want to anger them by killing their leader? "We're going to send Andy in with a fake, so that they will free the prisoner."
"Where we going to get one from, anyone feel like volunteering their head?" another Alexandrian said which caused a few mutterings among the ranks.
"We're going to use Walkers, we'll split up here and reconvene in a few hours." The group nodded, but Dean frowned, it seemed as though there was more going on with the Hilltop and the Saviours than Rick was letting everyone know. Suddenly the horns from the caravans blared and people started splitting up into ones and threes. Sighing Dean turned to trudge into the woods that ran down the side of the road.
"Going off on ya' own?" a gravel voice asked from behind him.
"Not sure if anyone wanted me to join them," Dean said as Daryl came up beside him.
"Not like ya' asked," the crossbow man pointed out as they stepped from the road and into the woods. Dean didn't say anything to refute the statement. It was true, he hadn't asked anyone before automatically going off on his own, he was just so used to it. The two marched into the woods, walking in comfortable silence. They heard the faint noises of others splintering off from them, but for the most part, Dean and Daryl were alone.
"So, we're going head hunting?" Dean asked.
"Yeah," Daryl said, crossbow up near his face as he made sure to check all around him as they pushed further into the woods.
"You know what this Gregory guy looks like?"
"Saw him when we were at the Hilltop."
"What was it like there?" Daryl sent a confused look at Dean who shrugged. "Just curious, Rick said they had crops and livestock."
"They did, set up round a manor house or summat," Daryl muttered, Dean mused over the dark tone Daryl had taken when talking about Hilltop. Curiously he asked.
"You didn't like them?"
"It wasn't them."
"Then who?" Daryl stiffened, turning his whole body from the hunter, who waited patiently for Daryl to answer.
"Gregory."
"The guy we're getting a replacment head for?" Daryl nodded.
"He doesn't want to fight the Saviours, thinks its stupid and that we'll loose."
"He may have a point," Dean said, which got him a glare from Daryl. "I'm just saying, he must have a reason for the agreement he has with the Saviours."
"It's not an agreement," Daryl snarled as he stomped through the woods. "They threaten them, tell them they'll come and wreck the joint if they don't give them what they want. Gregory won't fight for his people, and they just do as he says because they're scared."
"Well, they have a right to be," Dean argued. "If these Saviours can do what they say they'll loose the only safe place they've known since the world went to shit."
"So that means they should just roll over and let them take what they've worked hard for?" Daryl growled, frustration and anger clear on his face. "The Saviours will bleed 'em dry if they don't do summat and Gregory will just let it happen."
"They're scared."
"They're cowards," Daryl snapped, the ferocity surprised Dean and he paused a moment before continuing on.
"You sure it's Gregory that bothered you?" the hunter asked. He saw Daryl's shoulders stiffen, his fingers tightened on his crossbow as he picked his way through the forest debris.
"Yeah."
"You sure?" Dean pushed. "Because I don't think ..." the rest of Dean's words were cut off with the hiss of a bolt being released. Dean spun just in time to see the crossbow bolt smack into the head of a Walker that had finally stumbled into their path. It fell down instantly, making a soft sound on the dirt as Daryl and Dean came closer. The crossbowmen bent, pulling free his bolt, before eyeing the face up critically. "He look like the guy?" Dean asked and Daryl clucked his tongue.
"Kinda, he was older though."
"Should we take it?" Daryl shrugged, dropping his crossbow so that it hung at his side from a strap looped over his shoulder. Pulling free a long knife Daryl made quick work of hacking off the head. Dean turned to check the area, as Daryl finished his work, finally pulling free a sack to place the head into. "How many should we take?"
"A few, Rick will want so options," was the only thing Daryl said before moving on. Dean hesitated a moment before following. They walked in silence for a while before Daryl spoke. "I've seen the Saviours before." Dean tensed, surprised by the sudden confession. Worry coursed through him as he thought about his own run in with the Saviours that he hadn't told Daryl about. "Before you came, we ran into these guys on the road. They stopped us, they were going to kill us, even if we had given them all our shit."
"What happened?" Dean asked and Daryl snorted.
"I got them with a rocket launcher." Dean snorted in disbelief.
"How'd you get that?"
"A run," was the only answer Daryl gave.
"So, what's this got to do with why you don't like Gregory?" Dean prodded. He waited to get his head bitten off, but Daryl just sighed.
"I could have been one of those guys, hell I was one of those guys. Didn't give a shit about nothing and no one, before the world went to shit. Only where I could get my next score and staying off the radar of the cops." Dean frowned but Daryl kept talking. "If I had met them before Rick and the guys, I would have gone along with what they wanted, not given a crap about what I did to others, just as long as I stayed out of shit. That's why I don't like Gregory, because he could have been me." Daryl picked up his pace, moving a head of the hunter. Dean allowed him his space, himself unsure what he could possibly say in response. In a way he understood. Being a hunter was a thankless job, it often led you to the wrong side of the tracks and on the bad side of the law. Dean had no doubt that he could have fallen in to the wrong crowd and would have been considered the same as Daryl in the old world. Dean shook his head, quickening his pace so that he was just behind Daryl.
"You're not part of the Saviours, so you shouldn't let their shit get to you. Who gives a shit about what you could have been, you're not that, so it shouldn't matter. Just get your shit together and move on." Dean spoke the words, slowly, carefully, making sure that Daryl could hear every word. The crossbowman said nothing, a grunt was the only sign Dean got that he heard him. But as he came up beside him, Dean swore he could see a slight smile twitch the crossbowman's lips.
The hunter and crossbowman reconvened with the group a few hours later. Each showing off their own heads for Rick and Andy's approval. It wasn't long after that that they made their way to a compound like building, with fences and thick walls. Dean was crouched with a number of the Alexandrian's, gun and demon killing knife in hand as he waited for the signal to move forward to attack. Maggie and Carol had stayed behind to watch the perimeter, and Dean couldn't help but think that was a good idea. A pregnant woman going into what was probably going to be a gun fight, did not sit well with him. Andy had taken the chosen head and approached the compound, driving up until he was stopped by the guards outside.
"It's nearly time," Aaron, who was crouched beside Dean, whispered. The hunter grunted, too busy watching the proceeding to pay much attention to how the man was trying to calm himself. One of the guards went inside with the head and while away Daryl stepped out of the shadows and stabbed the remaining guard in the head. Dean winced, but didn't have time to dwell on what was happening as he followed the pack. Some grabbed the now dead guard and stashed it back into the woods. It wasn't long until the second guard returned with another man, Dean assumed that was the prisoner they had used to threaten Hilltop with. The returning guard was quickly dispatched and Andy hugged the new man tightly. Rick turned to the group, Dean swallowed, gripping his gun and the demon killing knife tighter.
"Tara," Rick said to the young woman, who nodded, moving away with Gabriel, Jesus, Andy and the new guy. Rick nodded at the rest of the group and they moved towards the compound. The door now open allowing them to sneak inside.
"Split up," Rick whispered. Dean didn't want to follow the command, but Aaron tapped his shoulder, indicating a direction so the hunter blocked out his misgiving s and followed. It was quiet in the compound, with the late hour most were probably still sleeping. Dean strained his ears, listening for any sounds that would give away that an attack was happening, but all remained quiet. Aaron led the way and Dean was content to let him do that. Rooms passed them by, but neither of them ventured into one, both unwilling to risk running into any Saviours. Suddenly a loud blaring filled the hallway. Dean jumped, as did Aaron, the man turned to Dean, a wild look in his eyes.
"Shit!" he said and Dean could only agree. A banging then came from in front of them. The two turned, just in time to see people emerge from the darkness.
"Intruders!"
"There's an attack!"
"Grab your shit!" Dean didn't know what to do until the first shot was fired. He grabbed hold of Aaron and shoved him into one of the rooms, a bed room.
"What the fuck!" Dean stilled as he shut and locked the door. A man was jumping up from the bed, scrambling for something on his bed side. Suddenly Aaron was there grabbing the man to stop him from reaching the gun he wanted. They wrestled, even as shouts came from the hallway outside followed by banging on the door. Dean pressed his back to it, hoping it would be enough to block the Saviours outside. Aaron grunted as he fought with the Saviour inside with the,, Dean wanted to help, but didn't dare move from the door. All of a sudden a knife was in Aaron's hands and with desperation, he stabbed the Saviour in the head. The man went limp, falling dead at Aaron's feet. Dean gaped, shock working it's way up from his gut to fog his mind. Aaron was staring at the knife in his hand, blood staining his fingers, disgust and revulsion etched into his features. The banging from behind Dean got worse, almost sending him flying from his position.
"Aaron!" Dean called, pushing his fear and panic to the back of his mind. Aaron jerked his head up to look at Dean, then rushed over to shove his own weight against the door.
"What are we going to do?" Aaron asked, but Dean couldn't answer, he didn't have an answer.
"I ..." he was cut off when a shot was fired through the door, narrowly missing Dean's leg to blow a chunk from the mattress on the bed.
"Shit!" Aaron whimpered, hands scrambling at his belt for his gun.
"What are you doing?" Dean shrieked hysterically.
"We're going to have to fight," Aaron said, but Dean shook his head.
"No, we can't, we can't kill them. It's ..."
"Dean, I know it's wrong, I know it is. But I want to go home to Eric, I want to go home. I don't want to die." The door shifted again, another shot was put through. Dean just stared, as Aaron moved away and aimed his gun, firing off shots through the wood, aimed to where he thought someone's head would be. A scream came from the other side and Aaron reached to wrench the door open, shoving Dean out of the way.
"Aaron!" but the man ignored Dean, launching himself out into the hallway, firing. Dean hesitated to follow, he just wanted to shut the door and hide, but the Saviours weren't going to let Dean do that, two bashing through with their own guns up and ready.
"Bastard!" one shouted. Dean panicked. Gun coming up and a shot going off before he could think about it. His training as a hunter helped to make the head shot, sending the Saviour down to the ground quickly. The second Saviour cursed and rushed Dean with a knife. Dean fired again, but the Saviour dodged and tackled the hunter to the ground, knife aimed for the head. Dean rolled, punching at the Saviours face to stun him. He quickly followed up with the demon knife, plunging it into the Saviours throat and wrenching it along the jugular. The Saviour spluttered as blood spilled, eyes bulged as he slumped down, dead in a matter of seconds. Dean pushed the body from him, stumbling back to his feet. The hunter looked around him, the shots and shouts filling his ears and turning into white noise.
"Dean!" Aaron's shout filtered through the fog in Dean's brain. The hunter tumbled out into the hall, where Aaron was running up the hallway, back towards where the shouts were coming from. "We need to get back to the others." Dean didn't answer though, eyes fixed on the dead bodies that littered the floor. Bile rose up in his throat and he swallowed the need to be sick. Flashes crossed Dean vision. The group from Louisa. Finn and Darla. Bobby's house. All dead by his hand.
"Oh my god," Dean whispered, even as Aaron called again.
"Dean!"
"I killed them," Dean said again, not loud enough for Aaron to hear, not that he could over the shots. "I killed them all."
"Dean, look out!" it was the only warning Dean got before something grazed his side. Dean was lucky that he had shifted enough that the knife didn't go right through his stomach, instead of nicking his side. The hunter spun, grabbing the hands that were reaching for his neck and pushing him away. A snarling face was what greeted him, along with a hash shove. "Dean!"
"Go!" Dean managed to shout loud enough, even as he tried to bring himself out of his panic.
"I can't just ...!"
"Go!" Dean called again, managing to fend off another attack from the Saviour, so that Aaron could run around the corner and back towards the group.
"You think your going to kill me?" the Saviour sneered, knife flicking in his hand, a tongue coming out to lick his lips. "You're nothing, boy." Dean didn't answer the taunting, too busy trying to keep himself focused, he couldn't afford to let the raising tide of panic overwhelm him. He needed to stay alive. The Saviour snarled, then rushed forward, Dean ducked the swing at his head, getting behind the Saviour and bringing up his gun. He shot the man in the back, the force of the bullet sending him stumbling into the wall. Dean grimaced as blood welled from the large hole.
"Whose nothing?" the hunter muttered, lowering the gun, content that the guy was dead. What he wasn't expecting was the laugh, or the Saviour pushing himself back to his feet. Dean gaped, unable to do anything but stare as the Saviour he had shot in the back got back to his feet, turning a grinning face to Dean. But the hunter could only stare, his gaze riveted to the black eyes that smirked at him.
"Surprise," the demon taunted, using Dean's shock to rush him, knocking the gun from his hand, as he shoved Dean up against the wall, hands reaching for his neck. "I'm going to enjoy this, its been a while since I've killed a human. Damn boss and his no killing policy, but you guys might just push him to far. I hope you do, we want to spill some blood."
"You're a demon," Dean stated, shock colouring his tone, he gasped as the demons hands found his throat and tightened.
"Oh, so you know what I am?" the demon frowned. "Don't find many humans that know that, unless ..." it's eyes widened and Dean took the pause to ram the demon killing knife into the demons gut. The demon gasped, fingers loosening as the demon killing knife took effect, forcing the demon from the hosts body and out through the mouth. Just before it could be released, black eyes turned to Dean and gasped out, "hunter." Then the black ash erupted from the host, spilling into the air. It withered there for a moment, before disintegrating into nothing, as it had no host to hide in. Dean slid down the wall, gasping as he tried to get his breath. The fog that had been threatening to take over his mind rushed up to meet him, taking him from the hallway, with it's dead bodies and one demon. Dean didn't know how long he sat, slumped against the wall, he only knew that his mind was on a reel, of killing, blood and demons, one after another, in perfect detail. It mixed in with images of hunting, of monsters and creatures that wanted to rip Dean apart, and they did, just not physically. There was no noise, all happened in silence, until the screaming started. At first Dean thought it was the people that were dying before his eyes, it was only when he felt a pain in his throat that he realised it was him. He choked off the noise, gasping as he came back to himself. He jerked, slamming his head on the wall as he blinked his eyes back into focus. He was still in the hallway, the bodies surrounding him, now cold, with the blood dried. Dean took in a few shaky breaths, the panic was still there underneath, but he finally managed to push it aside as he came back to himself.
"What ...?" Dean mumbled. His eyes found the corpse of the host that had housed the demon. His panic threatened to consume him once more, but he pushed it down, along with the images of Bobby's house and what they had told him about there boss and their hunt for hunters. Dean scrambled to his feet, fingers tightening around the demon killing knife. "I have to get out of here," he whispered, picking his way quickly through the bodies of the Saviours. His mind wanted him to look at the faces, to check if they were demons too, but he pushed down the irrational thought. If they were demons, they would have done something to him while he was out. And didn't that just scare the shit out of Dean. He'd never had a reaction like that before, and he'd been hunting for a long time. You've never killed humans before, a part of him whispered, but he ignored it. Focusing on making his way out of the compound. As he made his way through the hallways, he ignored the bodies that had been left there, most shot to death, but a few had been stabbed. Shaking his head, Dean made his way finally to the exit, stumbling out and into the night. He hadn't been expecting the gun shot, it landed right next to his foot, making him fall back barely managing to keep his feet.
"What the hell?!"
"Dean? Oh my god, Dean!"
"Aaron?" Dean managed to get out, before he was gathered in a pair of strong arms and held tightly. The smell of smoke and blood filled his nostrils, but along with it came coffee and pasta, all the things that reminded Dean of Aaron and Eric.
"Are you alright?" Aaron asked as he pushed Dean away from him, grabbing him by the shoulders to check him over. "I thought you were dead when you didn't catch up to me."
"I'm fine," Dean said, even though it was the last thing that he was. "I passed out."
"I can't believe I left you there," Aaron mumbled, eyes shining with tears that he was barely holding back. "I should have gone back, I should have checked. But Maggie and Carol were caught and Negan ..."
"Dean," a hand fell on his shoulder and the hunter flinched away as Daryl tried to talk to him. Daryl quickly released his grip, taking a step back from the spooked hunter, but his face was concerned. "What happened?" Dean blinked, looking around what remained of the group. Maggie and Glenn were hugging, but they were staring at him, unsure what they should do. He saw Carol with Tara, Gabriel and Jesus, Rick was stood with his gun out, a body laid at his feet.
"What happened here?" Dean asked instead, morphing his face into the expressionless mask that he had perfected over the years. He stepped passed Aaron, ignoring the hand that came out to grip his elbow. The group shifted uneasily, unsure of how to respond to the hunter they thought was dead.
"This is Negan, the leader of the Saviours."
"Leader?" Dean asked, looking down at the dead body. "You sure?"
"He said he was, why?" Dean didn't answer Rick's question. He was sure that this was probably not Negan, if Negan was the leader of the Saviours, that meant he was the leader of the demons that were looking for hunters. That thought did not sit well with Dean and caused his paranoia to raise, along with his panic.
"Just seems strange that the leader would be here, that's all," Dean said. Rick gave him a calculating look.
"If he's Negan or not, we've done what we came here to do. Lets go home," he reached out a hand to Dean, who backed up so Rick couldn't touch him. The leader of Alexandria paused a moment, then shrugged and walked away, the remains of the group following him back to the caravans.
"Dean?" the hunter turned to Aaron, who was peering at him worriedly. "Are you sure you're alright. You were a mess when we were ..."
"I'm fine," Dean reassured, sending a big grin Aaron's way. "Don't worry about it. We best get going, Eric will be pleased to see you back in one piece." Aaron frowned at him, but nodded.
"Kid will be happy too, though you best clean up before he sees you."
"Yeah," Dean said as he let Aaron pass him before following. He didn't let the other man see the smile vanish from his face, or the way his hands trembled at the thought of going back to Alexandria. Flashes of the killing in the compound came to him, but he squashed them, he couldn't let them over come him now. Not when he needed to think. He wasn't so sure he wanted to stay in Alexandria any more, in fact he wanted to get back there, snatch Kid and run, but where could he and the boy go? The Saviours were the group that were looking for hunters, that had demons. From what he had gathered they were large and well organised, especially if they were able to get a whole other community under their thumb. Dean wouldn't be able to do much on his own against them. They would find them, they had they numbers. And they would kill them or whatever they wanted. Dean shivered, his mind raced, he didn't want to go back to Alexandria, not after what he had seen them do, what he could do with them. But leaving would place him and Kid in even more danger. What was he going to do?
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