Chapter 167- Final Talks
John's P.O.V
John walked into the room they were keeping the injured in and looked at June as she was wrapping an arm of a scout. "Hey." John says, making his wife look at him, then around with a confused expression.
"Where's JJ?"
"He's with Cole," John tells her. "Can we talk for a minute?"
June nods as she follows John out of the room and follows him into an empty one with concern. "What's wrong?"
"Besides for the fight that is coming. Nothing." John tells her, then took his hat off with a sad look "I need to apologize to you."
"Right now is not the time, John." June tells him, looking to the door..
"Right now is the perfect time." John says. "We're about to fight Alpha and what's left of her people and herd and we don't know who is going to make it out. I don't want to die without saying what I need to and I don't want you to die without me saying this."
"Alright." June says.
"I have been a first rate asshole the last couple of months. I've been a shit, I've been rude and I have not been thinking about the safety of you, JJ or anybody else. I have said hurtful things and I know that if my father saw me, he would have been ashamed of me." John says as he sets his hat down and takes June's hands. "I'm sorry, June. For all of it, for what I have said, for what I have done. That is not me and that is not the man you fell in love with and I will spend the rest of our lives making it up to you if you'll allow me too."
June stares at him for a moment before she leans up and kisses him. "Of course I'll allow you too." June says. "But no more. I want the man I fell in love with."
"I'll find him again, I promise you." John says.
"I have to get back," June tells John who nods as she walks towards the door. "John." June says making John look at her. "You owe another apology. Make sure you find him before Alpha gets here."
John grimaced but nodded as June leaves the room.
Carol's P.O.V
Carol walks up to Carl and Rick as they stared out the window through rifle scopes, keeping watch over the area. "The Grimes boys," Carol says with a smirk as she walks up beside them.
"Don't ever say that again." Carl says with a smirk, putting it down. "Where are you going to be?"
"With your Dad and Daryl." Carol tells him. "I'll be the safest woman alive."
"It could all end here." Rick says as he stares at the woods still.
"It won't." Carol quietly said, making Rick look at her, eyebrow raised. "Even if we die, all three of us, some of us will make it out and they will keep fighting. But we're going to win, we've proved many times that as long as we fight together, we'll win. We've been fighting together since Atlanta. Since you woke up from a coma in this Strange new world, when Carl was a cute little boy and when I wasn't strong."
"I wasn't cute." Carl mumbled, causing his father to nudge him as it was clear Carol wasn't done.
"But we have all grown, we've gotten stronger and we're going to show Alpha that strength."
"You were never weak, Carol." Rick assured, resting a hand on her arm. "What Ed put you through, it was horrible but you were still a good mother and person and you came out on top. The strength, it was always inside of you." Rick tells her. "Also Carl was a cute kid, what happened?"
"Alot of people." Carl answered, looking out the door.
Knowing he was thinking of one of the Main ones in particular, Carol warmly said "Carl, he'll be ok."
"Indeed." They saw Ezekiel come inside, an arm around his wife "The man has more lives then a cat."
"...Thanks." Carl nodded "I know he's never going to be your favorite person, but thank you."
Ezekiel stated simply "He did something brave saving young Mr Rhee. I can understand that."
Carol kissed his cheek "Thank you dear, now let's get ready."
Smiling at his wife, Ezekiel looked at Rick and nodded once, saying "For Paul?"
"For Paul." Rick said back strongly.
Shane's P.O.V
Shane loads his shotgun and looks at Maggie as she walks out of the room Hershel was sleeping in, about to head in himself. "How's he doing?" Shane asks her.
"He's doing better, he's regaining his energy." Maggie says as she walks up to him. "I never thought I would say this. But you were right."
Shane stared for a moment, then blinked "Um...right about what?"
"Negan." Maggie answers. "Besides Carl, you were the first person at the Camp to give him a chance. I hated you for it. Glenn cared about you and I felt like you were betraying his memory but now, I'm grateful you did it. My son would be dead if it wasn't for Negan. He risked his life and he might die saving a kid who hates him and saving the son of the woman who has tried to kill him multiple times."
"We can all change, Maggie. I did, Negan did, hell you have. Truth is, I never thought you'd get off the farm. I was wrong about you, Maggie. You're one of the strongest people I have ever met."
"I think that might be the nicest thing you have ever said to me." Maggie says with a small smirk and Shane chuckles.
"It probably was."
He walked inside "Ok right now you focus up, I'll get him downstairs."
"Ok." Maggie nodded and walked down the corridor, Shane pausing and looking to her.
She was heading to the Infirmary.
John's P.O.V
John walked up to Daryl while he was watching the kids head into the Basement. For a while, Daryl nodded at Ezra and Nabila as they headed in...then he spoke. "I figured you'd be with Shane, you two have gotten close."
"I deserved that." John muttered, then took a breath. "I owe you more than an apology, Daryl. I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you. You took that bullet for me, you barely knew me. But you took a bullet for me. You brought me back here, and because of that I found my father, I got married, I had a son. After my father died, I took my anger out on you. You didn't fail, Daryl. None of us did, she caught us off guard and I'm sorry for what I have said to you, for the problems I have caused. I have been a terrible friend, and brother and I know that I lost your trust. I hope that one day you will let me earn it back and we can restore the bond that we share. Maybe we can have a little beer and share some popcorn when this is all over. If you want too of course."
Daryl stares at him for a moment before he chuckles. "We'll have to find some popcorn."
"We'll figure it out," John says with a smirk. "We're good?"
"Yeah, man. We're good," Daryl says. "But you're right, you do have to earn my trust back, show me that you regret what you did."
"I will," John says. "You will see it."
"I know."
Maggie's P.O.V
Maggie walked into Negan's infirmary room and looks at the former warlord as he laid in bed, His breathing uneven. Negan takes a deep breath and coughs and started to groan hearing the footsteps "Thank god, I'm going stir-"
Then his eyes opened and saw who was there, taken aback.
"Oh..." Negan was at the moment lost for words "Mrs Rhee...shouldn't you be getting ready for the Bitch."
Maggie sat down across from him "They have it covered...you saved my son."
"Don't say thank you." Negan looked away.
"I'm saying thank you." Maggie tells him sternly. "You're going to sit there and stay quiet, understand?"
"Yes, Ma'am." Negan muttered.
"I wish I could say I still hate you, that I want you dead. But I don't, I don't hate you, I haven't for a long time. You have proved yourself over and over again, Negan. I know you have changed, you're not the man you were when you killed Glenn. You haven't been for a long time and it took me a long time to accept that, but I did. I even accepted that you were one of us. But I still felt this grudge, some hate towards you for what you did. I can never forgive you for it, I want to but I can't. What I can do is say thank you for saving my son. For risking your life for someone who hates you. Thank you, Negan, for protecting my son. I won't be able to forgive you but I am grateful and you've earned my trust and as long as we make it out of here alive. I promise you, you don't have to worry about me hurting you and I will do my best to make sure Hershel never does."
As promised Negan quietly layed there...then just said "...Alright. If you do owe me I have my request for you then." He looked at her "If Hershel makes his choice, choose what he wants. No matter what it is."
Maggie frowned at that, the dread of the cycle continuing. Leaving Rose without her father and even Lydia on some level "Even-"
"Even if he comes for me. Don't ever put your relationship at risk or even destroy it for me. That's what I'm asking."
Maggie stood...and nodded as she headed out the door to see her son a final time before the End.
Gabriel's P.O.V
Gabriel led the children and Alicia into the basement, Negan already down there begin taken care of by Edwards, complaining all the while. "You do not come out until we get you. Do Not open this door until you hear one of us." Gabriel ordered them.
"I'm scared." Gracie whimpered, Judith putting a hand around hers in comfort.
"You'll be safe down here." He assured, a hand on her shoulder.
"We've seen how many she has. We fought, we lost." Gracie looked down.
"You see this fingers?" Gabriel asks as he moves his fingers. "Not much to look at right? But together they make a mighty weapon. That's who we are. Alexandria, The Kingdom, Richmond, Hilltop."
"Is that enough?" Gracie frowned.
"I'm not done yet." Gabriel says as he shows her his other hand. "The Saviors, Meridian, Deacon's people, the ones who aren't here, Eugene and the people with him. Together these two hands make the strongest weapon of all. They made the new world, they are the new world and as long as we fight for that, Alpha won't win. She'll never win, understand?"
Gracie stared up...then nodded.
"Good." Gabriel says as he stands. He looks at Alicia. "Don't open the door unless we tell you too."
"I got it." Alicia looked concerned then softly added. "Good luck."
The priest bowed his head to her and left the room, sealing the door shut.
Daryl's P.O.V
Daryl stood on the roof watching the woods as the sun started to set in the sky, hands tight on his crossbow "Well there's my favorite brooding redneck."
He turned and smirked as Carol came up "And our favorite innocent housewife."
"I'm not so innocent, but you are still very good at brooding."
"It's in my blood." Daryl says. "What are you doing up here?"
"I figured I'd wait up here with you. Everybody is getting in position. They just moved Alicia, Negan and the kids to the basement with Edwards. They'll be locked in. We'll make sure we keep Alpha's attention, she wants you and Rick."
"I don't know why." Daryl shook his head "Even if we die, you will all keep fighting. I know you will." Daryl looked back to the woods. "I'm not scared to die. I know my family will be taken care of if I die when Alpha gets here. But I can't bear the thought of losing you, Rick, Carl, Alicia."
"Beth already told you. You're going to be the last man standing. I believe that. You're a survivor, Daryl. You were before the fall; you were built for this world. You were broken until the world ended, you found your family at the end of the world."
"So did you." Daryl says. "Before all of this, we all may have saw each other on the streets, Rick may have been the officer arresting Merle and I. The end of the world brought us together and the truth is, if I could go back and somehow stop this from happening? I wouldn't, because this world, you guys. You're worth all the pain I've been through."
Carol smiles as she hugs him. "You're so sweet."
"Shut up." Daryl chuckled as he hugged her back. "You're a pain in my ass."
"I know, someone has to be a pain in your ass."
"I have Beth for it. You're supposed to be my best friend."
"I am your best friend. Being a pain in your ass is part of the job description. Okay, Pookie?"
"Shut the hell up." Daryl sighed. "I love you."
"I love you too, Pookie."
"Call me that again and I'm jumping," Daryl says. Carol was about to speak when she saw something move, Daryl follows her eyesight. Walkers started to emerge from the woods heading to the hospital. Daryl grabbed his radio. "They're here. Let's kill these motherfuckers."
Thanks for reading. Next chapter is the finale battle of the Whisper Arc, the group and Alpha fight one last time to take control. Eugene and Mercer make their move and the fate of the new world is decided. As always suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.