Newly Revised

Ani snuggled further into Daryl the next morning and sighed, completely content to lay in his arms and soak up his heat and his scent. After Rick had left, Sasha, Abraham, and Merle all had returned briefly before heading back out, Merle taking his shiny new black truck with him. The amount of goods in it had been a godsend for the Hilltop, Ani and Maggie meticulously going through it all to make sure nothing had been tampered with. Thanks to Simon and Merle, they had known they had the evening to get ready, which had led to guns being cleaned, ammunition handed out, and everyone, even the prisoners, minus the one Ani was mad at, getting a full belly. Merle had made it clear that he didn't want Ani out beyond the wall, which both Daryl and her readily agreed to. Ani admitted to them both that she didn't trust that she wouldn't overwork herself, but she promised she would work on noticing it more, as well as told Merle their agreement. It was a step in the right direction to Daryl and Merle, though Merle had continued to complain for a while afterwards. Unfortunately for Daryl and Ani, a lot of that complaining had to do with the fact that Carl had kissed Sophia and they hadn't stopped it. He let them go to bed eventually, but told Daryl that if he didn't stick to Ani like glue, he was going to have a fight on his hands.

She knew he wasn't happy about essentially being told to stay back with her, but she didn't feel guilty about it as Daryl's fingers were lazily traced a line across her hip. She stretched a bit and sighed again, reminding her of how they'd ended their night, how they'd made up and held each other close. The intimacy of just laying there in each other's arms with the feel of their skin pressed together was just what they both had needed to calm down. She smiled into his chest before turning her head and kissing the tattoo that sat above his heart as she opened her eyes and looked up at him. He had his other arm under his head and was staring at the ceiling, seemingly lost in thought. Her subtle movements didn't seem to distract him, even as she slowly brought her hand up his chest and to his chin, only his eyes moving to her after she ran a finger along the stubble on his jawbone. Even then, he only let out a sigh of his own as he pulled her tighter into his side, his eyes turning back to the ceiling. She kept looking up at him while he pondered his thoughts, moving her leg to overlap his and get even closer into him.

"I don't like this," he said absentmindedly. "Havin' to sit back when Merle's out there."

"Ya think I like it?"

"I know you don't. Happy you're stayin', though."

"Happy ya stayin' closa ta home. We don' know when they're attackin', when they're showin' up, how they're attackin'. I don' think I could keep my mind if ya weren' close," she admitted, snuggling into his chest. "Don' even want ya goin' out, but I know ya wouldn' be happy sittin' and waitin' with me."

"How you feelin', anyway?" he asked after sighing, knowing that she wasn't happy with his plan to go out beyond the wall, even if he'd stay within binocular sight of her.

"I'm okay."

Daryl scoffed at her before saying, "I know damn well you were awake and pacin' last night. Mumblin', too."

Ani sighed and tried to turn onto her back, but Daryl's strong arm held her firm against him as he looked down into her eyes, "I had a nightmare, okay? Negan had us back at the Sanctuary beatin' ya ass half ta death right in front a me. And then...then...fuck...they were there, but they were walkers, and they just started tearin' inta ya. I didn' want ta wake ya up jus' 'cause my mind went dark."

"Wish you would," he said before he turned to her. "Shouldn't keep that shit in. Ain't that what you told Morgan?"

"Eaves droppin' were ya?" she asked with a giggle, Daryl's lips curling just a little at the sound. "I jus' didn' want ta make a mountain out a a mole hill. It was jus' a nightmare, and I was jus' tryin' ta calm down. Ya needed the sleep afta not gettin' any for almost fordy eight hours, and the doc said it was normal."

"Yeah, well, wake me up next time," he told her, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips before she tangled her hand in his hair to deepen it. When he pulled back, they let go of each other and Daryl slapped her hip, "Come on, gotta get up. Merle's headin' out soon and we got our shifts."

Ani couldn't help the smile on her face even as she watched him get up and grab his shirt off the floor. Turning onto her back, she stretched and popped her back and hip before scooting over to the edge and getting her own clothes. Maggie had lookouts stationed and patrolling every half mile in case Simon had been lying, but in the end, they truly had had the night to prepare and rest, for the most part. The shifts for watch had left almost everyone either on or beyond the wall at some point during the night. Daryl and Ani had both volunteered to take shifts on watch this morning, though Ani was stationed on the wall with Maggie while Daryl took a spot along the road closer to the Hilltop. Carl and Sophia were helping with making sure the medical trailers were stocked with what Merle had brought back, both Maggie and Ani getting a new bottle of prenatal vitamins while they were at it.

"I love ya," she told him before they left the room.

"Love you, too," he said, leading the way.

Walking out into the the Hilltop from the house, Ani looked around and saw that those who hadn't been assigned guard duties had been busy fortifying the inside of the Hilltop. Windows had been boarded up from both the outside and inside, they were taking the metal from the cars and using it to heighten the wall, and the attic had been prepared in case of emergency to act like a bunker for the most vulnerable in case the Saviors did end up getting through. All of the remaining provisions that Merle had brought had been taken up to the attic and many had gone up and went through the boxes, compiling a rather large amount of junk to be melted down for metal, burned for firewood, or stored for use after being cleaned up. A few mattresses and some blankets, along with Merle's couch and a few other chairs and tables that had been up there were set up so that people had a place to sit and relax. Ani and Maggie both were thoroughly happy with the progress while Rick and Michonne were preparing to go beyond the wall themselves, Merle, Abraham, Sasha, Beth, and Daryl all planning on going out as well.

"Well, golly gee, look who decided to rise from their beauty sleep," Merle quipped as they walked up. "'Bout time you two lovebirds got out of bed."

"Shut up, Merle," Daryl told him as he walked over to his bike.

"Where you think you're goin', huh?"

"On patrol, like everyone else."

"Hell no you ain't, boy. You're stayin' in the walls, too."

"It's okay, Merle. We already talked 'bout it," Ani assured.

"I don't fuckin' care! You're stayin'. What happens if the Saviors come back and pull another stunt here like they did, huh? What happens if they come back and you're out there? You know damn well she ain't gonna sit back and sit out!" Merle shouted at him, grabbing Daryl's arm.

"I'm right 'ere, Merle, and I ain' goin' out, so what's it matta?"

"It matters 'cause of what the damn doc said! She stated it plain and simple," he said, pointing his finger and poking it into Daryl's chest before jabbing his thumb towards Ani, "you're job is stickin' to her like glue. Makin' sure she's puttin' 'er feet up. Gettin' the rest she and the baby need. You ain't goin' out."

"Merle," Ani said, putting a hand on his arm gently and making him look at her, "we talked 'bout it. He ain' goin' far. Just up ta the otha hill. He can be back in less than five minutes. I'm stickin' with Maggie on the wall. I ain' goin' out, but I ain' askin' D ta stay back jus' 'cause. We need all the eyes we can get out there."

"What we need," Abraham countered after standing and listening to them, "is for the ones who poured the Bisquick to keep the pancakes from burnin' while the soldiers go out and play soldier. You should stay with the girls. Keep Maggie and Ani company. Me and Merle'll go out. We've got everythin' covered out there."

"We need him out there for the plan to work," Maggie said from her spot. "We've talked about this. Ani and Daryl agreed to it, so did you. Everyone has their part to play."

"I'm goin' out. That's the end of it," Daryl told them all as he stepped over to Ani. "You take it easy. Stay on the wall, but make sure you take a break. Don't need you gettin' worked up 'til you need to be."

Ani pulled him into a kiss, her arms going around him as she held onto him for just a moment as everyone geared up, promising, "I will. I ain' goin' ta be stupid, so don' ya be stupid. Come back ta me soon, ya hear?"

"Loud and clear," he told her, pecking her lips once more before going back to his bike and climbing on. "And hey!"

"Yeah?"

"Don't put yourself in danger while I'm gone. Stay with Maggie, Beth, and them kids and get your ass inside if shit goes down before I get back."

"That's the plan," she affirmed, handing him the automatic he was taking with him. "Stay safe."

"You, too."

She moved away from him as he started the bike up, listening to Merle cussing as he climbed into his new truck and slam the door shut. Daryl kept his eyes on her until he pulled out, Ani taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out several times as she watched him. Maggie walked up and put a hand on her shoulder causing her to look at her and give a small smile as they both turned towards the wall. While she was worried about what was going to happen and having that nightmare certainly hadn't done her any favors, she knew that with Daryl they would have the element of surprise. They had all had a hand in making the plan, though those from their original group had contributed far more than those in the Hilltop or of the Kingdom. While Ezekiel was able to charm people and give them the pep talk they needed to be confident in their plan, Jesus was always looking on the bright side and knew the ins and outs of the Hilltop wonderfully. Their combination of officers, soldiers, and fighters was uniquely able to strategize and fill out a thorough plan of attack as well as escape. Ani only hoped that it would work better than their plan in Alexandria and it wouldn't lead to them being trapped all over again. Sure, they had the tunnel out, but what happened if the Saviors ended up collapsing the tunnel while everyone inside and they got buried? What happened if the Saviors knew about the tunnel or discovered it somehow and were waiting for them when they came out at the end? Ani took a shaky breath before blowing it out slowly in an attempt to calm her nerves and stop thinking about the 'what ifs.' There was no amount of cautions that could be taken during war that would guarantee a stratagem would work without complications or losses.

"How you holdin' up?" Maggie asked her as they watched the convoy heading out in the distance with Merle in the lead.

"Funny, I was jus' 'bout ta ask ya that. How ya doin'?" Ani asked, her eyes glued to the wings across Daryl's back until he was too far out of sight. When the women just stared at each other, Ani nodded her head, "Yeah. We jus' keep on keepin' on. That's all we can do."

Maggie turned to look out over the Hilltop and at their people, most of whom were taking a break and relaxing, a few others continuing their repairs. "Yeah," she said, "we do what we have to and keep goin'."

"It's goin' ta be so damn borin' when all's said and done. Used ta think all I wanted was silence, but now I'm thinkin' 'bout how quiet it's goin' ta be, how we won' have ta fight nah more. It's goin' ta make it hard ta adjust."

"Not if Negan's dead," Maggie countered. "Not for me at least."

"Me eitha. I want 'im dead. What 'e did ta Daryl, what 'e made me do," Ani said, tears forming in her eyes. "Gods, how is it we're both expectin' yet I'm the one always emotional and ya as stoic as eva?"

"It's always been hard for you to hide how you're feelin'," Maggie told her. "It's easier for me. When it's all over, that's when I'll let it out. But for now, we've gotta fight so our kids can have a future that's better than the one we're lookin' at now."

"For now, 'til Negan's dead," Ani agreed.

As Maggie brought the binoculars up to her eyes, Ani followed her gaze and turned to look out over the fields beyond Hilltop's walls. There was something out in the distance, but until Maggie held the binoculars out to her, she couldn't make out what it was exactly, just that it looked like a balloon had been attached to something on the ground. Together, they sent Beth and Michonne out to retrieve what ended up being a few empty crates with a note attached, none of which made much sense to the women. Beth didn't know what to make of it while Michonne and Ani read the letter over Maggie's shoulder with confused looks on their own faces.

"I didn't see any tracks," Beth told them. "What do you think we should do?"

"'If you fill the crates with food or phonograph records, I will gladly exchange them for a key to your future,'" Maggie read aloud. "What are these numbers?"

"Coordinates," Ani answered. "This one's latitude, this is longitude. All I need a map and I can tell ya where they want ta meet."

"This isn't the Saviors," Michonne surmised after reading the note herself and handing it to Ani. "They'd blow through the gates, make a big show. This isn't that."

"I wouldn't put nothin' past them," Maggie commented.

"This is a woman," Ani said after looking at the note. "The penmanship's damn near flawless and the numbas are written in script. Ain' nah man I've eva met that has the patience for such delicate strokes. And look at the curves on the cursive. This ain' the Saviors at all. It's somethin' else."

"Are you sure?"

"Give or take fifteen percent."

"It's kinda obvious for a trap, isn't it?" Beth asked.

"Which is what could make it a trap," Maggie countered again.

"Could also make it someone's foolish and naïve way a tryin' ta help. We really can' afford ta be turnin' down help right now, Mags," Ani pointed out.

"I agree with Ani," Michonne said. "What if...what if it is someone trying to help us out?"

"If someone is tryin' to help us and we miss out, we miss out," Maggie told them. "If somebody's trying to kill us, we die."

"I mean, there's always a risk, but I'm tellin' ya, it can be mitigated."

"If we're careful," Michonne agreed.

"Being careful is staying here," Enid said a bit hotly, making Ani look at her.

"And ya know this, how? How much fightin' did ya do in Alexandria? Oh, that's right. None," Ani deadpanned, not in the mood to deal with a moody teenager right now. "Ya were here. Don' try talkin' stuff ya don' even begin ta undastand, Enid. This ain' the time for ya ta go off at the mouth jus' 'cause ya feelin' guilty 'bout Natalia and angry at my kids."

"I'll go," Michonne suggested. "I'll see what's up."

"If you're goin', I'm gonna go. Give you back up," Beth told her.

"Rick wants us to stay here and get ready," Enid insisted.

"Yeah, well, Rick's been more mouthpiece than leada for a while now, and I say we don' throw away this chance. Especially if Rick thinks it's bad," Ani chuckled, nudging Michonne with her elbow and getting her to smile, too.

"The last time we took a chance like this, it changed everything," she agreed. "Rick didn't agree with us then. He may not understand us now."

"He won't," Maggie assured.

"But he will eventually," Michonne countered. "He will."

"Jesus and the others have been out scavengin' and we still only have enough to last the week on quarter rations, and that's only thanks to Simon," Maggie said. "Maybe this person does have something that can help."

"Well, if you're going then I'm going," Enid said stubbornly.

"Don' be gettin' trigga happy jus' 'cause ya felt the need ta pull it once," Ani warned the young girl who was letting anger get the best of her.

"I'll keep an eye on her," Maggie promised, noticing the same thing Ani was. "Alright, I'll grab records, case this is real. Grab a couple extra clips in case it isn't," she then said after checking how many rounds were in her gun.

"I'll stay here and hold down the fort while y'all are gone," Ani told her with a nod of the head. "Promised Daryl I'd stay here, so that's what I'm goin' ta do."

"Alright. I'll leave it to you, then."

~x~

Merle was standing on the roof of his truck when the third warning came over the radio, this time Jerry, for them all to just hit their horns to start the hand off if the Saviors came their way. Ani had been the first, checking in with everyone and getting the all clear, about an hour after he'd gotten to this spot and Maggie had done the same about an hour later. He was antsy just sitting and waiting for the show to get started and everything in him still wanted to go to the Sanctuary and ambush the bastards before they even left. The fact that Daryl was outside Hilltop while Ani stayed inside was grating on his nerves, too, the both of them not wanting to listen to the doctor and insisting they play their parts. He, himself, had been completely useless in the tunnels of Alexandria when Ani was having her issues and it was the first time he'd felt completely helpless in a long time. He'd never been so scared in his life than when the doctor guy had said their baby could've been born so early, and yet they were still playing heroes. He punched the roof of the truck with his stump and mumbled a curse at the pain right before he could hear the approach of vehicles and put his binoculars to his eyes. He watched as several trucks came into view around the corner heading towards Hilltop with another curse under his breath, hopping down from his truck and getting ready to hit the horn before he saw something. Moving away from the steering wheel, he brought the binoculars back up and grit his teeth as he saw Negan traveling alone at the back of the caravan. That man had damn near cost him and Daryl the only thing that had been able to keep them held together with the group, gave them the reason to be something more than a couple of redneck assholes. Daryl would never be the same if he lost her and Merle wasn't sure if either of them would even care about whether or not they survived; they'd just go through the motions until they died.

As the anger in him boiled over, he threw the binoculars into the truck and opened the door, climbing in and starting it up. Do not engage can suck my dick, he thought to himself as he revved the engine and gunned his way towards the town outlying town the Saviors would have to pass through. He was wasn't risking that asshole getting to his siblings again as Merle put the pedal to the metal. He rammed into the car that came directly after Simon's box truck, obviously catching Negan by surprise as the black car began to swerve, heading down a different direction. Merle gave chase, bound and determined to run the asshole off the road and be done with his shit once and for all. Ani couldn't play a damn action hero if he took the role, and Daryl wouldn't be beaten down or executed if Negan was beaten down and killed first. He had to end it, for them, for his nephew, for Sophia and Carl, for Maggie and her kid, everyone back home who'd lost their houses to the damn Saviors, everyone they'd lost; for Aaron losing Eric, for Francine. He gave chase to Negan's car, swerving this way and that in an attempt to force the bastard off the road, letting his rage take over him like he'd been trying to avoid ever since he'd been put in charge of Sophia. Tapping the back end of Negan's car with his truck's nose again sent the smaller vehicle into a tailspin that ended up rolling the vehicle. Merle carefully pulled his truck to a stop, grabbing the semi-automatic from the seat next to him and opening fire on the sports car. Negan still had to be inside the damn thing as he worked his advance; the damn thing was on its side and there was no way Negan could open a door without him knowing about it. Merle didn't even care that he was drawing the attention of the walkers in the area since it just meant less chance for Negan to survive. If it made it to where Negan was permanently out of the picture and they had enough guys inside of the Saviors themselves, he was willing to get bitten and torn to shreds to end the war. His rifle jammed right as he was about to get around the damn car allowing the bastard to get away and duck into a building to escape his fire.

"Come on, you motherfucker!" Merle shouted as he entered the building and pulled his gun.

He quickly had to duck down to avoid a hit by that damn bat, barely dodging another swing, before he managed to raise his pistol and aim, Negan running down a corridor. He barely missed his shot, but quickly stood and gave chase, wishing he had that damn blade for his hand rather than leaving it in the truck. The damn thing was difficult to drive with now, but that didn't stop him from wishing he had it, nor firing off two more rounds that Negan managed to dodge. Merle knew the walkers were following them, he just didn't care as he rounded a corner and raised his gun a third time, only to come up empty. He cussed up a storm as he holstered the weapon and Negan became a smiling asshole at the top of a flight of stairs while Merle looked up at him with gritted teeth. Everything the man stood for, everything he had done, everything he'd almost made him lose, and Negan was still standing. The lucky bastard kept getting away when he should of been killed and there was nothing Merle wanted more than to take that smug look and beat it off his face.

"You're out of bullets, asshole," he taunted as Merle drew his large hunting knife. "Come on up."

Whatever Negan was expecting, it hadn't been for Merle to throw the knife up into the air, catch it by the tip to then throw it directly at Negan's head. He was forced to dodge only for the railing he hit against in doing so to fall away, Merle giving a delighted chuckle as Negan was rendered helpless. Even his precious bat had fallen to the ground somewhere as Merle began climbing the steps while Negan held on for dear life, shouting for the damn bat. Merle knew that Ani had named her weapons once upon a time, but after everything she'd owned from before had been taken, she'd stopped, and she was a little cocked in the head. Negan was seemingly sound of mind and yet so damn attached to a stupid piece of wood he didn't even care about the precarious situation he'd found himself in, It was with pure delight that Merle pulled his knife out of the wall and advanced on Negan. He was grinning like a mad man as he knelt down and looked at the man barely hanging on while playing with his blade.

"Oh, you asshole," Negan gritted out.

"I could say the same damn thing 'bout you," Merle quipped before bringing the knife down with the intention of taking at least some of the man's fingers, missing only because Negan let go and fell straight through the floor. "Suit yourself. You can try to hide, but you done fucked up when you took Ani and Daryl. Man, what you made that girl do, not that those assholes didn't deserve it, but that ain't her way of doin' things. No, sir-y. She does it quick," he said mockingly. "Don't like draggin' things out, my baby sister."

"Another fuckin' Dixon. How many of you are there? Might just add the whole damn crew to my roster," Negan called from somewhere below before he began whistling.

"How many times we gotta make a fool out of ya before you learn to take a fuckin' hint, huh? How many more times you gonna get lucky to barely keep your head?"

"I'm a goddamn cat."

"Well, that sounds about right. Only thing is, it seems to me like you're runnin' out of lives. Though, I gotta say, sounds like we've got company and you ain't even got a weapon," Merle taunted, hearing the walkers getting closer. "Can't say it sounds like anyone's comin' to help ya, neither. Nuh-uh. Some great leader. No one's even lookin' for ya is my wager. Nah, we didn't get too far away from 'em. If they ain't here, it's 'cause they don't wanna be."

"Oh, they're coming."

"Yeah, you keep tellin' yourself that. You keep tellin' yourself that they're just around the corner. We both know, this is where you're gonna bite the bullet. All alone in the doom and gloom of some rundown basement. Kinda sad when you think about it."

"What the hell is your problem, man? Huh? I mean, Rick, he's the most stubborn prick in the world and Ani's a pain in my ass know-it-all, but what'd I ever do to you? Other than beat your brother, what exactly have I done to cross you, huh?" Merle heard him ask as he kept moving through the basement, spotting something on the wall. Holstering his gun and lighting a match to see a boarded up room, one board warning about walkers as Negan continued, "I mean, why couldn't you people just let me save you? I saved everybody at the Sanctuary, the Outpost, Hilltop, Kingdom—I save them all. Their kids can grow up safe. They didn't lose one after we took over. All those people were doin' just fine before Rick Grimes and the Dixons!"

"Nah, just the sixteen year old you killed at Hilltop. The seventeen year old from the Kingdom. The father of an unborn child from Alexandria? You sure as shit didn't give a damn 'bout them kids! Nah, you just kept tryin' to take what didn't belong to ya, and kill anyone who didn't go along," Merle shouted back, hearing a metal pipe clang in the distance. "Damn near made Ani have her kid, damn near killed 'em both. That would've been on you."

"Now, that wasn't my fault! All you guys had to do is get with the program! But y'all couldn't do that could you? I'll tell you what, in exchange for you Dixons coming and working for me, that means you, your brother, Ani, and that little James Bond girl of yours, whom I actually have some respect for...You get Alexandria, Hilltop, and Kingdom to fall in line and our arrangement is back in place, and all is forgiven between Rick, the Widow, and the King. I'll even lower my take from 50% to 25%, a lousy 25%! But you and yours, you gotta come work for me. Janitorial to start for you and your brother, something in the kitchen for the spy girl, and Ani, well, we'll get her back to usin' that brain of hers to help solve people's problems. Keepin' people stable and all that jazz. That ain't a bad deal at all. The rest of your people, they get to live like 75% kings! Now, that is an epic freakin' Christmas-Hanukah-Kwanzaa gift all rolled up in one considering what a thorn in my ass cheek you all have been, especially you Dixon assholes!"

"Oh? And why the hell would I go for that when you offered to protect Jadis's people only to open fire on all of 'em? Hell, you didn't seem to give a shit 'bout their little ones, now did ya?"

"What the hell you talkin' about?"

"The Scavengers over at that dump. The gutter rats. Killed 'em all, and for what? 'Cause you got pissed off? All that talk about people bein' resources and savin' kids, yet you killed every last one from that place. Everyone but Jadis, left to turn. Didn't even bother givin' 'em a proper death. Just killed 'em and let 'em turn. Who the hell does that? Leaves little kids to turn? That's some barbaric shit, even for me," Merle replied. "Is that what you mean by 'savin' people'? I mean, hell, it's still just you and me down here and your people had to have seen. In fact, I know damn well one of 'em did. You know, you find out more 'bout where loyalties lie when the shit hits the fan then you do when times are good," he said, kicking something only to chuckle when he looked down and saw it. "You know, sooner or later you were gonna meet people like us. Ani's never been one to let things be or couldn't make the plans. Always got somethin' cookin' up in that brain of hers tryin' to help people.

"Hell, if it wasn't her, it was gonna be Rick. You were gonna meet someone who was gonna call you out on your bullshit. They just have nicer hearts than I do. Nah, Rick, he'll pussy out. Always has, always will. Never did like havin' to resort to killin' to make things right. Me? Well, someone's gotta be the bad guy. We can't all have hearts of gold and mercy like Officer Friendly and that little fox. We can't all be saved, least of all by you. Hell, only thing that saved me was my brother fallin' in love with someone I could admit was my better. And that sure as hell ain't your crusty ass. Hell, you can't save anyone. Took me forever to realize it, but you can't save someone if you can't save yourself. If you don't care 'bout no one but yourself. Damn near killed me, once upon a time, bein' like you. Thinkin' people weren't good for nothin' but the food they filled my belly with and a body to warm my bed. Hell, you take it a step further by usin' 'em to keep your ass safe! And look at ya now, not even you're precious Lucille to help ya," he goaded, picking up the bat and tucking it under his other arm, spotting paint thinner close by. "Must be pissin' in your pants knowin' you can't even save it. But hey, if you wanna kiss 'er goodbye, be my guest."

Merle was pouring the flammable liquid onto the damn bat that had taken Glenn's life when Negan realized he had it and hollered, "Don't you touch her!"

"Oh, I'm gonna do more than touch her," Merle laughed, dropping the paint thinner and lighting a match. "Let's see which one of y'all last longer, huh?!"

There was a door to his left that had boards across it and walkers trying to get out, his smile growing even wider as he began banging at the blockage. He'd gotten half of the doorway open before he was tackled from behind, the force of Negan's rush sending both men through the damn thing themselves while the bat went skittering across the ground. Merle was the first one to recover, picking up the flaming piece of wood and swinging widely at Negan, managing to strike him in the shoulder before a walker came up from behind, making him turn and take it out as well. It didn't take more than a single hit from the thing to make the walker's clothes go up in flames as well, the entire building starting to fill with smoke as Merle squared off with Negan. Merle knew he needed to take the asshole down here and now and get the hell out of the building before it went up in flames. That didn't mean he couldn't have a bit of fun while doing it as he swung the bat around and lit even more walkers on fire, filling the place up with smoke and light. It made him smile widely when Negan realized what he was using to make the mess Merle was making of the walkers and the building, outright laughing at the look on the man's face.

"Get your filthy hand off her," Negan spat at him.

"Sure thing, come and get 'er," Merle quipped back.

"You're a goddamn psychopath! You're gonna kill us both!" the other man shouted at him.

"Long as I take you out first, hell, best damn day of my life."

Negan barreled into him a second time, once again knocking him off his feet and making Merle drop the bat as they crashed to the floor. He managed to get a good sucker punch in to Negan's jaw before more walkers entered from another hallway and the man ran away. He wasn't able to keep track of Negan as he drew his knife out again, killing the walkers that were in his way as he started coughing from the smoke. Merle knew he had to get out of the burning building, but it was difficult to even see where he was going with all the smoke; it didn't taste or smell the best with the charred walkers and wood. It was pure luck that had him shoulder checking Negan into a window after tripping away from a walker, once again sending the bat scattering across the ground. Negan got a good punch in that sent Merle right back into the flaming walkers he'd been trying to escape from to begin with while turning around and kicking the glass. Merle was trying to deal with the walkers, when he heard the glass break and barely had the time to turn around when he pushed the damn things off of him to see Negan's form disappearing out of it. He fought his way through a few more walkers before plowing through the window himself, looking everywhere for that son of a bitch who managed to get away all over again.

"God dammit!" he shouted in frustration before running back towards where he'd left his truck.

~x~

Simon looked in his rearview mirror back at Negan's sleek and shiny sports car following along behind his box truck before side-eyeing Dwight. The man still hadn't figured out what was going on or why he was in his passenger seat, but Simon had a feeling he would figure it out pretty soon. Even with Eugene's help, the Hilltop was doomed without more resources than even the Saviors had, especially since two different colonies had managed to escape Negan's grip and make it to the Hilltop. The supplies he'd given the one armed asshole, along with the truck, were bound to be used up shortly after this ill-conceived attack. If it went down the way Negan wanted it to, he couldn't guarantee anyone's safety and even if Dwight jumped on board with what he was thinking, with the slaughter Gary had pulled over at the dump, Simon knew he had a limited amount of time to work with. There was only so much he could do and only so long he could bide his time at the Sanctuary before he had to run thanks to Negan finding out what he was doing.

"What do you make of this, D?" he asked the man sitting next to him.

"This?"

"This. Our little road trip."

"Opportunity to close. Nothin' wrong with that," Dwight told him.

"C'mon, D," Simon scoffed. "Let's rap here. Let's get candid. Let's get weird. There's nobody here but us chickens. Top guy to top guy, I just wanna know, if in your analysis, you believe these people are gonna cower and cave after we deliver what amounts to yet another warning we both know they won't heed."

"Don't get paid to think," Dwight told him nonchalantly, fidgeting just a bit in his seat.

"Not true," Simon countered. "I value your perspective, Dwight. You've been on both sides of the iron. Well, if you're not gonna answer, let me extemporaneously express that I have my doubts that this little maneuver will deliver the desired outcome Negan wants. In fact, I'm counting on it. That's why I gave them a little heads up we'd be headin' that way."

"You what?" Dwight said, looking over at him.

"You heard me. Didn't do nothin' you haven't done already, otherwise how'd they know where each and every one of our lookouts were? How'd the workers get our guns? And why'd Eugene already give you up?"

"You lookin' to do things differently?"

"Right this second, this attack, no. No, no. Not at all. See, the big man's plan will do somethin', no question, just not what he's thinkin' it's gonna do," Simon told him before falling silent for a moment. "We've thrown a lot at Rick, the Widow, the King, and Ani, and they just keep coming, keep fighting. You've seen it. I've seen it. Tallying it up, I keep seein' the same answer—they don't scare. They're gonna keep fighting, and then what? All this is is a waste of manpower and resources. I told Negan, I told him, we should cut our losses, find some new colonies to take over, but no. He's dead set on makin' Rick kneel. I don't know about Rick, but the Dixons definitely aren't gonna just take this lyin' down."

"So what do you want to do about it?" Dwight asked, perplexed by this turn of events.

"It's not what I want to do about it," Simon corrected as they started through town, catching sight of something moving out of the corner of his eye. Turning to look back and watch his rearview mirror, he continued, "It's what I'm already doin'."

A loud crash from behind had Simon slamming on the break as he watched the truck he'd given to the one-handed man slam into the back end of Negan's car and cause it to swerve down another lane. All the cars in front of him slammed on their breaks, too, the sound of the crash resonating down the narrow passage. It was quite obvious that the crazy bastard was trying to take Negan out, but what Simon didn't know was whether or not he was acting alone. The only thing they could really do is give the man some more time if his little surprise attack was going to work. If he wasn't working by his lonesome, hopefully he'd shared with the class about Simon's good intentions and the willingness to make up his wrong doings. He was as good as dead as the rest of the Saviors were going to be if the little girl and Dixon didn't tell them how much he was doing to help them. Even if the two did say something about him, he was prepared to end up dead at the end of the day anyway. Simon already knew that Maggie Rhee would not take into account whatever the Dixons said because of how he had killed someone in front of her. Better a death by whatever she decided than taking a blow from that bat that didn't outright kill him let alone the pants-pissing terror of taking it to the back of the head.

"What the hell was that?" Arat asked over the walkie.

"That was Negan's car," Dwight said.

"Jesus, it was," Simon replied

"You see it? Did you plan this?"

"Yeah, someone pegged him—pegged him good. And no, I didn't plan this. I gave the guy the damn truck, though. Just the one from what I can tell."

"Anyone see which way he went?" Arat asked over the radio.

"Just tell 'em to pipe down!" Simon shouted in irritation. "Stay icy. May be more of them out there. Fuck! I told them! I told them to just wait it out!"

"Yeah, well, if you really are workin' with Rick and them, you'd know they don't just wait around," Dwight told him as he grabbed the radio, turning it on and barking out orders. "Stay put and keep your guard up. We could have company."

Simon reversed his box truck to block off the alley they were in and told Dwight, "Let's go. Whoa! Stand down," he told the Saviors coming out of their own vehicles once he was out of his. "No runnin' off without a plan. Car hit Negan's, pushed him off the road. They head that way. Couldn't have gotten far."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Arat said, Simon giving her a dirty look for always wanting to jump the gun and act, Gary behind her nodding along.

"It was just one driver," he said harshly considering neither of the two in front of him would just follow his orders as he gave them rather than their way. "It's nothing Negan can't handle on his own. But just in case, Dwight and I will go and check it out."

"Then I can go-" Arat started before Simon cut her off.

"No! This might be a ploy to divide our forces, and we're not gonna let that happen, not when we're so close to the master stroke. I turned my truck," he said motioning to it, "so that no one can come down this way. Gary, I want you to do the same down that end. You're in charge," he told Arat. "Keep everyone in tight, create a perimeter, and cut down anything that comes close. Shall we locate our benefactor?" he asked Dwight, who nodded his head and turned to follow him as he headed back towards his truck.

They walked along the road in silence for a while with Simon carrying his favorite rifle and Dwight looked comically under-prepared with only the pistol in his hand. He couldn't blame the guy seeing as how he'd gotten shot in the shoulder, but still, a pistol was nothing compared to the crossbow he'd had once upon a time. Dwight knew he was no longer interested in how Negan ran things, but how far Simon was willing to go was a mystery. The truck he'd apparently given away had been used to take Negan's car out, a car they were fast approaching by the look of the tire tracks. If they found the big man alive and well, they needed to plan their counter attack and get it set in stone before Negan noticed what they were doing. They also needed a way to get out fast in case anyone else found out, especially since he still wasn't sure if he could trust Eugene or the sick priest. He didn't even know if the note he'd given Father Gabriel had made it's way to Eugene with a little suggestion. Simon might not know how to make bullets, but there was always a way to sabotage things if a person was smart enough. And Eugene was plenty smart enough; he was just a coward Simon didn't trust not to fold the minute pressure was laid on him. It was now or never to lay the whole plan on the line for everyone to work together whether or not they found the main man in charge and get the rest of the Saviors on board with a new world order all over again.

"You must've thought about doin' it yourself," Simon said out of no where.

"What?"

"Clippin' him."

"You mean when he took my wife? Or burned my face? No. Never thought about that. Not once," Dwight responded sarcastically.

"But you didn't because you chose to survive. Bide your time until the day came when you could take it all back," Simon told him confidently. "You're an adult. You knew you couldn't do it yourself, so you waited until someone came along and got the ball rollin'. A ball that's gonna let everyone work together and come together to do things differently. No more killin' kids or makin' pregnant ladies suffer. No more wives bein' taken from their men just to please him. People who actually want to work together. Our leader cannot fathom any way other than his. If it was my call, I'd say enough! Move on from the Hilltop, Alexandria, the Kingdom. Find other colonies, other settlements. We've already found a fair few, though not all of them worked out. We should be branchin' out, finding new places, making new relationships. Put to rest this shit that's costin' lives and resources. Make sure the Saviors survived, not keep grindin' the same, worn out gear over and over again. We'd move on from past discomforts and work towards a future for everyone, like you have. Like you have wisely chose to." Dwight scoffed and walked off a few paces, turning in a circle as Simon looked at him incredulously, "Well, here I am, my nuts blowin' in the breeze, naked as a jaybird. I already know you've been workin' with the Dixons. You know I've been workin' with Eugene. What do you say? Can we all work together?"

"Just move on? You're serious?"

"Just move on," Simon promised, stomping ahead as they got to Negan's car, bloodstained, on its side, and shot all to hell. "Could be his," he commented.

"Yeah, or the bucket of blood and guts he had with him," Dwight countered.

"He could be anywhere," Simon said, looking around and noticing a building on fire. "Alive or dead. Somewhere in between. Just 'cause he walked away doesn't mean he's breathin'. We could keep lookin', but my best guess is he's somewhere in that fire. I mean, if we do find him more alive than dead, then what? We're lookin' at a less than ideal situation. We could just walk away. Get back to our people, make things better. This is a critical point in our history, Dwight. We can move forward as Negan would want us to, or we can forge our own path."

Rather than saying anything, Dwight simply pulled out a very old, very worn pack of smokes, making Simon watch on in confusion as he pulled out a half gone cigarette, lit it up, and took a long pull on it. He was about to say something when the man turned around and flicked the thing at the remains of Negan's sports car making Simon grin widely. The gas that was leaking from it immediately caught on fire as Dwight and Simon shared a look, nodding their head in agreement. They were about to head back to the Saviors when a few walkers came around the side of the burned building as Dwight put his pistol back into his holster before pulling out his knife. He and Simon took out the walkers quietly until there was only one left; Dwight was about to put the thing out of its misery when it fell forward with a sickening thwack. Negan kept hitting the thing with his charred bat, breathing heavily, until there was nothing left of its skull. Both men stood there in shock as the man righted himself and pulled his jacket back into place, breathing heavily for a moment before he finally began talking.

"About damn time one of you showed up," he told them. "Have you just been suckin' each other's dicks while I was gettin' my ass handed to me by a one-handed son of a bitch? He even charred up Lucille! We are done with these people!"

"What's that mean, boss?" Simon asked, trying to keep his face as calm as possible even though both he and Dwight side-eyed each other.

"Means plans have changed. It's no longer a warning. It's a promise that the worst is yet to come," Negan promised.