This Sorrowful Life

by BeneathThisMask

A sequel to "This Cruel Reality". The group is faced with a threat unlike any they've ever encountered before. A combination of the hanging threat of starvation, as well as a dangerous new group, threatens to destroy the new life they've worked so hard to build for each other. Now, with the help of some unlikely allies, Tanner must protect his new family or risk losing them all.

10. No Way Out

A/N: Another reminder that this chapter is entirely from Carl's point of view. This will change next chapter back to Tanner. Enjoy! ^-^

---

"Of all the wonders I have yet heard, it seems to me most strange that men should fear.
Seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come."

— William Shakespeare

####

You're not the only one who wants to fuck Negan over.

The Savior's words seem genuine.

Nevertheless, I keep the barrel of my gun firmly pointed to his temple. Trust isn't easy to come by these days, and I'm certainly not about to give mine to a man who was an accomplice in Tyreese's death as well as Tanner's kidnapping. Off to my side, Dad glances between myself, the Savior, and Daryl; I suppose to decide our next course of action. Overhead, the sky snarls like an aggressive guard dog as the storm gathering above us gains strength. Frigid gusts of wind, which sting my exposed skin, have become commonplace. For a moment, though it seems like hours, only the storm overhead and the nearby chained-up walkers generate noise. I can feel the very last remnants of my patience begin to thin out until Dad steps forward alongside me to address the Savior himself.

"What do you mean by that?" he inquires. "Why would you want to betray Negan?"

With that, my patience is gone.

"We don't have time for this." I snap impatiently. "Where is he?"

The Savior thug eyes Dad, then shifts his gaze to me. I can only describe his expression as a mixture of bewilderment and amusement. I don't think the thug had anticipated that I would give him this much hell, but that only continues to confirm that they don't know who the hell they messed with when they took one of our own. The man shifts his posture and folds his arms as he continues to glance at me observantly. The longer and longer he goes without granting me the information I'd asked for, the more and more irritated I become. Most people will answer quickly with a gun pressed tightly to their head, but this man almost seems to forget its even there, despite my many reminders. Finally, however, he relents and answers.

"Fine." he says. "Like I said, he's in there." The man gestures to the factory behind us. "First room is a large factory work floor. Directly to your far left is a second, smaller work chamber. In that room is a series of catwalks that lead up to a balcony which surrounds the upper levels of the room. Once you make it to the balcony, make a right and he's in the room behind the big red door. Can't miss it. The paint is peelin' off the motherfucker."

"What's the catch?"

Daryl amazes me.

Everytime he speaks, its calm and steady. His voice quiet, almost like a whisper. I've only heard Daryl Dixon raise his voice on a handful of occasions and most of those date back to the original Atlanta camp and Hershel's farm. The other thing about the redneck that always seems to inspire my awe, is his keen sense of awareness. He can detect a lie even when other acute people, such as Dad or Michonne, are fooled. He can also sense deception surprisingly well. My guess is that it originates from all the time he's spent following his older brother, Merle Dixon, a known deceiver himself, around prior to the outbreak.

"Is it always straight to the point with you people?" the Savior quips.

I answer by pushing my gun barrel even tighter to the man's scarred facial flesh.

"Answer him." I demand.

The mans sighs, "Well, for one." he begins. "There's them." He gestures towards the lurching mass of shadows in the distance, where the chained walker herd lies in wait of its next meal. "If you can get passed them, the next danger should be obvious. This place doesn't have bedrooms. Only Negan has his own room. My fellow Saviors simply sleep where they drop. If you wake even one of them, its all over."

"We'll take our chances." Michonne interjects, her voice carrying a venomous edge.

"Suit yourselves." the man replies with a casual shrug.

"Wait guys!" Glenn suddenly pleads. "We can't just barge in there without some sort of plan of action."

"He's right!" Maggie, of course, concurs in her thick Georgian accent. "Shoot first, ask questions later never works. We all know that."

"I'll take my chances." I snap at them, repeating Michonne's words. "Every second we waste, Tanner is in there going through God-knows-what. I'm done waiting. Now is the time to act."

I am truly infuriated by their continued stalling.

Glenn and Maggie, of all people, should understand my urgency. They were both kidnapped by Merle and subjected to horrible torture at the hands of the Governor. Maggie had even had a loved one, her father Hershel, abducted by that man and killed right before her eyes. If anyone should understand just how much anxiety I'm experiencing, it should be her. Besides, there are very few plans that can help us once we get into the Savior's outpost. We don't know the layout, other than what the Savior has informed us about, if he is even telling the truth to begin with, and we don't know how many of them there are. Now is one of the rare instances when just doing what we came here for and then getting out is the only and best plan. The group individually considers me, then one another, clearly conflicted as to which course of action to take.

In front of me, the Savior shifts, crunching leaves and sticks beneath his boot-clad feet.

"Take it from me, kid." the man says gravely. "Listen to your friends."

####

A plan was formulated much quicker than I had originally anticipated.

I'll give them that.

It is also fairly simple. Glenn, Maggie, and Jesus would stay behind at the edge of the woods, holding our Savior captive, that way he couldn't raise the alarm if he decides to turn on us. While there, they would also cover us should we need to make a fast escape. Finding the gap in the walker herd, allowing us entry into the Savior's sanctuary, is also a simple task. Michonne and I quickly dispatch any of the chained-up undead that are too close to our pathway, allowing us safe passage until we're successfully behind the chain-link fences. Once there, I can finally see more of the Savior's headquarters at closer range. As it turns out, and as is usually the case, Daryl was right. The Saviors haven't stationed any outside lookouts or guards. As Daryl had suggested, they must've been counting on the walkers surrounding the place to ward off any potential attackers. Unfortunately for Negan, he didn't know who he was messing with. Our group, for as long as I can remember, has always been adamant about retrieving one of our own, at great personal risks. That isn't about to stop here.

Once behind the fences, another fail-safe of Dad's plan takes effect. Sasha and Daryl remain behind, ensuring that if we have to make a quick run for it, we can still use the element of surprise to take out a few of our pursuers before making our escape. Once we are sure she is safely in her position, Tara, Michonne, Dad, and I proceed cautiously into the interior of the factory. The front door to the facility creeks ever so slightly as we push it open and slip in one-by-one. The room we enter is large. Larger than any room I've ever seen. A factory work floor, as the Savior had called it. And, matching another of his warnings, we can already see the members of his gang sleeping somewhat peacefully all around us. Some have some form of bedding, such as a blanket, or even a towel. Others simply sleep on the cold floor.

Poor conditions indeed.

My group treads ever so carefully through the room, along the same pathway indicated by the Savior earlier. The smell within the factory is absolutely repulsive. The smell of rusting machinery mixed with decayed walker makes for a bad combination, even to someone like me, who is used to the smell of walkers after five years of being around them. Part of me wonders if Tanner is even able to sleep with this rancid odor permeating the air. I know I wouldn't be able to. Sure enough, however, we eventually arrive at a door leading into a smaller version of the room we were just in. Once safely inside, I turn to examine the room and my heart stops.

Corpses are everywhere.

To my relief, none of them are Tanners. In fact, they all appear to be walker corpses. Each of them have been brutally mutilated. It doesn't take me long to find the weapon that was used either. Laying near the center of the room, bathing in a pool of drying walker blood, is a long metal pipe which is dented from repeated concussive blows. The sight is truly gruesome. There is so much blood present that, in certain places, it is standing in puddles. Continued observation of the sight sends a cold chill up my spine and into my neck.

"Were they attacked?" Tara whispers, her look nearly as horrified as my own.

"Not likely." Dad's voice is saturated in rage, even as his words are cryptic.

I know what he means, though.

There are no signs of a breach. The Saviors are sleeping peacefully in the room next to this one. If that many walkers had truly breached this room, then common sense would say that Negan would post armed guards at the location of the breach and would've done more to fortify his safe haven. And yet, there is no signs of any of that having transpired. But if that's the case, then where did all of these walkers come from? The standing blood indicates the killing is fresh, but I can't see any victims. Michonne's soft voice suddenly cuts me from my thoughts.

"Where did he say Tanner was?" she mumbles under her breath.

"Up there." I nod to the catwalks above us. "One of the rooms up there."

"We all need to be careful as we go up." Dad warns. "Carl, you take the rear, and I'll take the front. Michonne and Tara in the middle. Stay in formation and watch for movement."

Our ascent up the rusting metal steps is slow and cautious. Each time our boots touch down on a metal step, it makes a slight clank, silent enough not to wake the thugs in the next room, but to me, they sound like gunshots. I don't want to risk exposing us before we rescue Tanner. The further up we get, the more I begin to internally brace myself. Though the Savior outside said he was alive, he could be lying, and I don't know what condition I'll really find Tanner in. The possibilities are endless and, after seeing the room full of dead walkers, I am dreading what I'll actually find. The climb to the top seems nearly endless, mainly because I'm at the back of our formation, but eventually I finally take my steps onto the balcony overlooking the room. I don't dwell on the sight below too long, however, before refocusing on the group. Dad, Michonne, and Tara have all latched their eyes onto a large crimson door directly in front of us. Paint chipping off of the surface of the door, I know that's the door the Savior indicated Tanner would be behind.

Dad takes a step forward.

"No!" I hiss, trying to contain my voice.

Dad stops dead in his tracks and all three of them turn around, casting me a collective, inquisitive glance.

"I'll do it." I insist.

The three of them glance between each other before Dad relents with a nod.

Slowly, and with much trepidation, I step forward until I am completely in front of them. They follow silently behind me, surveying the area around us as we go for any and all possible threats that might appear to harm us. I reach the end of the catwalk without incident, standing now in front of the red door that supposedly has my love locked behind it. I reach up with one hand, trembling slightly as I do, and take hold of the door handle. For a split instant, fear overwhelms me. It is entirely possible that I could turn this door and find Tanner dead, or worse... turned. My heart leaps into my throat at the thought of finding his mangled corpse clinging to this world only by the disease that turns the dead into monsters. Of course, I could I also open this door and discover the room to be empty, the Savior from earlier having lied to us. A sudden hand on my shoulder brings me back to reality.

Dad.

"Maybe I should-"

"No." I shake my head, tightening my grip on the handle. "It'll be me."

"We should hurry." Michonne warns. "Every moment we're in here, we risk getting caught. Let's get him and go."

I nod my head in agreement and twist the knob.

Here goes nothing...

####

The room is dark.

Almost like an abyss, it seemingly devours all light, not allowing me to make out anything inside for several seconds while my eyes adjust. As they do, I can faintly see the outline of a window higher up in the small chamber. The clouds of the gathering storm outside must be covering the moon, forbearing it to show its light. For a moment, there is no movement, no sound. The room is like a tomb, reeking of dust and death, but lacking even the smallest sign of life. My heart begins to fall rapidly. That can only mean two things. Either he isn't here, or he's here and he's dead. I feel the familiar, frustrating sensation of tears stinging at the back of my eyes. Then, suddenly, there is movement. Its slight at first. Slight enough to just be the pipes settling or some other natural phenomenon. But then it comes again. A scuffling noise. As if something or someone is struggling to get to their feet. The thought hits me again;

What if he's a walker.

Its possible.

Oh God... if he is... I don't think.. I don't think I can do this!

A footstep.

Almost a cautious footstep.

Walkers don't do that...

Walkers are incapable of being cautious. They aren't smart enough.

Then that's...

"...Carl?"

The voice that echoes out to me from the back of the room is weak, faint, as if the person who uttered it hadn't slept in days. Even so, I know this voice. It hasn't even been a full twenty-four hours since I last heard it, but even if it had been ten years, I'd know who it is that is speaking to me. Another footstep lightly taps the ground as a dark figure emerges from the darkest bowels of the room to get a better look at me. At us. When I see him, my breath catches in my throat. Tanner looks like absolute shit. My love is covered in dried blood, his eyes drooping wearily with fatigue, and he seems to be only barely standing. As soon as my mind registers all of this, my tough demeanor collapses, and I subconsciously throw myself forward the necessary few steps, wrapping him in the tightest hug I can possibly muster. The force of the impact knocks my hat off the top of my head, landing ungracefully on the floor next to us.

Tanner seems somewhat shell-shocked at first, his weary mind still processing the reunion, but slowly he begins to grasp what is going on. I feel his arms slowly wrap around my thin waist, pulling me tightly into him, as his fingers curl into a tight grip on my jacket. For me, time seems to come completely to a stop, allowing me to take him in. He reeks of walker blood, and yet, after all the anxiety I've been through worrying about his well being, the fact that he is alive makes it the sweetest scent I've ever had the pleasure of smelling. Tanner buries his face into the crook of my neck, cradling me as tightly as he possibly can. I can feel his warm breath lightly brush the side of my neck. Its nice just to have him in my arms again.

"Did I wake you?" I murmur into his hair, which is pressed against the side of my face.

"You kidding?" he chuckles weakly into my neck. "You know I can't sleep without you."

My heart melts.

I can't contain the sudden grin that curls across my lips.

"What are you doing here?" he mumbles.

Now its my turn to snort a laugh, "What does it look like?" I chuckle. "Saving your ass."

Tanner pulls his head back slightly, arms still tightly wrapped around me. Tanner looks tired; exhausted even. Yet, even so, a light smile touches his lips.

"I love you." I manage, beaming.

I've said those words probably a million times in the three years that Tanner and I have been together. Never, though, have they been more true than right now.

"I- Mmph?!"

I don't let him finish. I already know what he's going to say anyways. Instead, I swiftly cover his lips with mine and press into him, kissing him hard. I don't care that we have an audience. I stopped caring about that long ago. The shock soon wears off and Tanner returns my kiss in earnest. Its short, its sweet, and its everything the both of us need after all that's happened these past few hours. After a moment, Tanner and I reluctantly withdraw from one another, allowing him to get a good view of who else has come along with me. Dad, Tara, and Michonne hang back in the doorway, as they watch our reunion unfold.

"As adorable as this is," Tara smirks. "Can we save the reunion until we're away from this place?"

"Agreed." Michonne concurs. "We can't wait here any longer."

"Are you okay to travel?" I cast a worried glance back at Tanner, who still looks like he's just risen from the grave.

He nods weakly.

"I'll be fine." he grunts. "Lead the way."

####

"I brought you this." I whisper to Tanner as we clear the catwalks and plant our feet on solid ground.

Swinging the strap of his sword over my shoulder, I hand Tanner his weapon, which he slowly grasps and then takes back; carefully strapping it back around his own torso.

"That makes twice now that you've retrieved this thing for me." he whispers back.

Its true.

I'd retrieved the same weapon from Terminus after we went back to finish off the cannibals there. Tanner had lost it after being shot. Now here we are, repeating the past. I smirk at him, but we are quickly hushed by Dad.

"Keep it down." he hisses. "We're almost out."

Carefully and as silently as possible, Dad eases open the door back into the main factory room. Immediately, we notice something is very wrong. Only minutes before, when we'd passed through here, the room had been full of sleeping Saviors. Now the room is empty. Not a soul in sight. Dad notices this too and quickly cocks back the hammer of his Colt Python. I'm quick to follow his lead, along with Tara and Michonne. To my surprise, and despite his fatigue, Tanner senses our alert and swiftly draws his own sword, angling it into a defensive posture in front of him. We take a moment to observe the room. No sign of walkers or any other struggle. That bodes badly for us. My thoughts immediately travel to our friends waiting outside. Glenn, Maggie, Sasha, and Daryl. They could all be in immense danger right now. Dad seems to arrive at a similar conclusion and makes a bolt for the door with the rest of us in hot pursuit.

Cold air licks my skin harshly as the door is thrust open, allowing the wind from the outside storm to burst in and sweep over us. Surveying the courtyard, there is no sign of Sasha or Daryl where we'd left them. The familiar moan of the walkers guarding the fences rises up and mixes with the wind, creating one of the most eerie sounds I've ever heard. Like and orchestra from Hell, the walkers cry out in hunger, having heard movement behind them. Overhead the sky bursts, sending a streak of lightning across its dark abyss, temporarily illuminating the darkness. Still no sign of either of them.

"Where are they?!" Tara barks in a panicked tone.

"Who else came?" Tanner vocalizes, clearly confused by all of this.

"Sasha, Daryl, Glenn, and Maggie." I reply promptly. "Sasha and Daryl are supposed to be here."

"Shit...!" I hear Dad curse under his breath.

Once more, Dad bursts into action, swiftly crossing the courtyard until we reach the gap in the fences, and the walkers, granting us a very clear view of the woods where we'd left Glenn and Maggie to look after that Savior. Only, that's not what I see when I look out across the yard. My hand involuntarily leaps up and takes a hold of Tanner's, fear gripping my chest even as anger rises to join it. Negan. Negan and his men to be more precises. And that's not all. He has them. Sasha, Daryl, Glenn, and Maggie. But what really boils my blood is the sight of the man standing directly next to Negan. Its the man from earlier. Burn marks running entirely down the side of his face, the Savior stares us down rather menacingly. Negan himself, whom usually wears a smile of arrogance, doesn't seem at all pleased by this disturbance.

"Rick!" he calls out angrily. "Why don't you get the fuck out here?!"

Nobody moves.

I feel Tanner grip my hand tighter.

"Everyone stay behind me." Dad breathes.

Another crack of thunder rumbles through the night sky as we advance. Leaving the protection of the fences, we carefully tread the gap in the walkers until they too are no longer a threat, and we are finally face to face with our nemesis again. The Saviors waist no time. Descending on us like a pack of ravenous vultures, the thugs seize us, stripping us of our weapons and holding us hostage before our other groupmates, and before Negan himself.

"Gotta hand it to you, Rick!" Negan barks over the storm. "Your group has an excellent motherfuckin' habit of getting fuckin' caught. This makes, what? The third fuckin' time?"

Dad says nothing, replying with only a scowl.

"Well, this time its gonna be fuckin' different!" the thug leader declares. "I've tried being merciful. Oh God, have I been fuckin' merciful. But it seems that no matter what the fuck I do, you don't fuckin' get it. Bargin' in to my home and taking my fuckin' guest?! That's the final straw Rick. Now everyone is gonna fuckin' die except you. Your gonna watch it all, though. I'll make you watch every fuckin' moment."

With that, Negan nods to his men, who promptly and forcefully push myself, Tara, and Tanner forward to the center of the group. As if on cue, the skies rend in two, splitting with the loud boom of thunder, as the heavenly vaults are opened and rain is poured down upon us. The downpour is intense and brutal, but it doesn't stop Negan. Negan is the devil himself and it doesn't appear that even this storm will stop him from carrying out his devilish plans. Flinging Lucile, his bat, over his shoulder, the large thug steps forward and circles around us until he is directly behind me. Tanner suddenly becomes more lively, struggling to break free of the henchman holding him steady. I feel a light prick on the back of my skull and suddenly realize why. Negan is holding his barbed wire bat directly to the back of my head. Even Dad reacts to this;

"Let him go!" he barks over the rain.

"I told ya Rick! Everyone is gonna fuckin' die tonight." Negan retorts loudly. "But not before we have some fuckin' fun!"

One of Negan's thugs suddenly shoves Tara to her knees, making a loud slosh as she sinks into the muddy ground. Tara's look is nothing short of terrified, accented by the rainwater streaking down her cheeks. At the same time, a second thug steps forward and hands Tanner a small gun. Tanner looks bewildered at the offer, only to have the small weapon shoved into his grasp. Slowly but surely, it dawns on me what Negan is going to have Tanner do with that weapon. My veins go cold.

Oh no...

"She's the first one to fuckin' die. You're going to do it." Negan declares. "And if you don't fuckin' want to?" He presses the barbed bat harder into the back of my head, causing me to wince. "I'll beat the fuckin' shit out of this guy's head."

Tanner's eyes widen in horror, flashing between Tara and I as if searching for some way out.

My heart breaks further in that moment.

The choice before him is impossible. Kill one of his closest friends, and have her blood forever on his hands, or kill the person he loves most in this world. I don't want Tanner to have to make that choice. I don't want him to live consumed by guilt for the rest of his life. I know what that feels like. I had to shoot my mom. She was alive, just unconscious. She hadn't died yet. She hadn't turned. I shot her. I ended it. The guilt has lived with me for years, even to this very day. I always wonder if things could've been different. Why she had to die and why I had to kill her. If Tanner kills either of us, the same weight would eternally be on his shoulders. On his heart. I can't let him do that alone.

I open my mouth to say something.

To tell him he doesn't have to do it.

Tell him that, even though Negan is going to kill me, that I don't blame him and that I love him.

Instead I open my mouth and hear Tara speaking in front of me.

"Its okay, Tanner." she tells him, surprisingly calm despite the look of anguish painted across her face. "Do it."

Tanner's head shakes, though it is unclear to me whether it is involuntary or not. The hand which tightly clutches the gun he was given trembles violently, however. He doesn't want to kill her. He doesn't want to kill anyone. Why would she tell him it was okay? Certainly she didn't think he'd actually do it? Tanner is much to soft-hearted to pull the trigger on her, or me, or anyone.

"Listen to me." she goes on, even as tears well up in his eyes and mix with the rainwater pelting us all. "Carl came all this way for you. Just like you've always done for him. You gotta stay alive. You gotta keep him safe. That's your job. That guy is serious. He'll kill him if you don't kill me. Do it, Tanner. I've made my peace."

"I-..I-.. I can't!" Tanner stammers, tears now free falling down his blood-dried face. "You-"

"You've got to, you hear me?!" Tara yells now over the rain. "I have my sister waiting for me. My dad. My... my niece, Meghan. My family, Tanner. Yours is right over there. You've gotta protect him."

"But..." Tanner argues. "But you're family too...!"

"Ain't that fuckin' sweet!" Negan bellows, full of sadistic glee. "Get the fuck on with it! I don't have all fuckin' night! Its raining out here, ya know!"

For what seems like an eternity, or maybe two, the internal struggle is painted across Tanner's face. I know he'll never be able to bring himself to do it. He's too gentle. Even after all he's seen, been through, and fought against, he's still too gentle. Tanner begins to waver, his hands slowly lowering, along with the gun. Tara sees this and makes the most surprising move yet. Reaching out before anyone can make a move to stop her, the petite woman seizes Tanner's wrists and jerks them upward, pressing the barrel of the weapon firmly into her forehead. Tanner is so weary from lack of sleep, he doesn't even seem to register her movements until after its already done. By the time he realizes what she's doing, its much, much too late.

"Sorry, big guy." she mutters as her thumb slips into place. "Take care of Carl, okay?"

BAM!

The shot is thundering.

A geyser of blood and brain matter erupts from the wound, spraying a horrified Tanner, and any nearby onlookers. With that, Tanner's spirit is shattered and he collapses to his knees in stunned silence, staring down wide-eyed at Tara's limp corpse. My own body is suddenly wracked with emotion. Pain, grief, sorrow, pity, and guilt slam into me at once and the tears which I've fought to hold back ever since reuniting with Tanner falls freely. The others seem to be in complete shock as well, save for Maggie, who is now sobbing uncontrollably against the torrent of rain. Behind me, Negan pulls back, only to deliver a hard kick to my spine that knocks the wind from my lungs, causing me to land on my knees in a similar fashion to Tara. I know what is about to happen. I'm next. Negan is going to make Tanner watch me die.

"And now," I can see him raise Lucile out of the corner of my eyes. "Let's fuckin' deal with you."

The bat arcs downward.

BAM!

I hear a second shot, then contact as the bullet shreds through the wooden bat and shatters Negan's weapon before it can reach me. Splinters of wood and metal from the barbs sprinkle around my knees, leaving everyone present stunned. My head shoots up just in time to catch Tanner rise, a murderous glint in his eyes, take aim and fire another shot. Negan manages to tuck and roll out of the way, leaving me unguarded and finally, giving the group the opening we've all been waiting for. Their guard dropped, Dad easily breaks free of the man restraining him, snatching his gun back and firing at his captor, killing him in one shot. Tanner is suddenly at my side, tightly gripping my upper arm in his hand to help me to my feet. Somewhere in the chaos, Michonne has managed to kill her captor and retrieve her sword, and is now carving through several of the nearby Saviors.

"You..." the voice of Negan suddenly comes from off to the side. "You shot Lucile?! How fuckin' dare you motherfuckin' shoot Lucile!"

Negan and the other Saviors, having finally gotten over the shock, come to their senses and move in to counter attack us, however, a sudden movement off to my side catches my attention. When I spin around to get a better view, I see the worst possible thing. Something that can make even this situation go from bad to worse. All of the shooting and noise must've drawn them from nearby. One by one, they lurch out of the woods, hissing and growling with ravenous hunger. At first it is only a handful. Then several dozen. Then at least a hundred of them. Pouring out the nearby woods, their numbers continue to get larger and larger.

A herd.

"Oh... fuck!" Negan curses.

The Saviors open fire on the undead, taking out several towards the front, but there is simply too many. The combination of the rain and the low visibility of night makes it hard to determine just how many, but I can say with sureness that the number is simply massive. Without waiting to see any more of those monsters emerge from the woods, Negan and his men, shockingly, begin to retreat towards their factory.

"Too motherfucking goddamn many!" Negan shouts to his thugs. "Back inside! GO!"

The Saviors don't argue and within moments, most of them have managed to make it safely behind their fences. We, on the other hand, are right in the way of the oncoming onslaught.

"Carl!" Dad shouts. "Everyone! Let's go!"

No arguments from me.

Holding my hat down to my head, I take off in the direction Dad and the others are rushing. Tanner suddenly appears beside me and the two of us run side by side. Reluctantly, he casts a glance back over his shoulder, directly towards where Tara's corpse is laying cold in the mud. The oncoming herd is advancing far too quickly. Even if he tried, he wouldn't retrieve her in time.

"Its over, Tanner!" I shout over the rain.

My heart aches for him.

I know he must feel absolutely numb inside after what's transpired. Even so, we can't stop now. We must keep running.

"I know." he murmurs, casting me a final solemn glance.

"Then lets go..."

And so we run for the trees.

---

A/N: Whew...! Now THAT was a doosey of a chapter, no? Sorry it took me so long. Writing a death, you want to make sure you get it just right, and I had to rework that scene a few times to get it where I liked it, but I think it turned out alright. So, did anyone see that coming? XD I hope I at least managed to surprise a few of you. I know, I'm terrible. Carl and Tanner reunite, and are sweet to each other, and then I had to go rip everyone's heart out again. I do that... a lot . And what of Negan? Did he and his group make it inside in time? Is this the last we'll be seeing of them? All these questions and more will be answered soon enough, I promise. Anyways, chapter 10! Things only keep getting better from here folks! But for those romance saps in my readership, you will be pleased; a romance-centered chapter or two will come before things start getting too crazy again and we'll see how Tanner copes with this latest loss, which is a bit closer to home than Tyreese was. Thank you for reading! Remember to follow, favorite, and review! Love hearing from you guys!

Now onto the reviews!

superfaraway: Thank YOU for reading! :D Sorry I keep ripping your heart out xD I bet this chapter didn't exactly help with that! But that's how it goes. Good stories tear at your emotions. I hope you continue enjoying! Thanks for your review!

Kayden Pause: Of course I was! Thanks for the compliment! I bettcha hate him more now, huh? I certainly do xD Tanner getting captured again, I'm sure, was hard on him. But he did it to keep Carl safe. You know how he is. He's a glutton for punishment if he knows Carl will benefit from it. Thanks for your review :)

IamwhoIam987: I'm trying to improve my "cliffhangers" so I'm glad it is working! Glad you enjoyed! Hope that continues :)

Guest: I shall and thank you very much! :) Hope you continue to enjoy!

Obtained: Sorry for making you wait xD' I'm taking a bit longer with these chapters because I want to make sure they're absolutely up to par for you guys so that you can enjoy them each time! Hope this one was no different! Thanks for the comment! :D

Thanks guys!

Again, for those of you who PM me, I'm still having difficulties loading the page. I'll PM you all back just as soon as I'm able. Sorry about the delay! Thank you all again for reading and I'll see you with the next one!

Later!