Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Twilight or the Walking Dead, those rights are reserved for Stephanie Myer and Robert Kirkman. I do own the original characters created for the storyling. Please support the official release.
Writer's Notes: Hello my beautiful readers. I apologize for not getting updates out on AWT! I have been busy busy, but rest assured this will be updated as often as I am able to. I have some other stories up and coming, My Favorite Color is Green is nearly completed and I will be posting that three-part Arrow/Twilight crossover once it is completed. Be on the look out for that. A holiday special is in the works to be posted for Christmas, and I have a few other stories with some completed outlines that will be worked on soon. I am still not accepting new requests for stories since I am backlogged pretty bad, but I do have the discord up and running. If you want a link to join, just send me a PM on here and I'll get you that link! Thank you everyone for your continued patience and support! Love you guys!
[Two Weeks Later]
Bella stood with Negan, Jasper, Carlisle, Eugene and Charlie in the clinic. Eugene was examining samples under the microscope and everyone was silent as they waited. One of the samples was T-Dogg's and then there was a sample from Beth and then one from Bella.
Eugene made a hmm sound and then leaned away. "Well, the samples are all similar. T-Dogg's seems to have a regenerative property though. His cells are shaped different too. It's comparable to the Walker's sample that we took."
"What does that mean?" Charlie asked.
"It means that T-Dogg has the virus, like we all do, but his is more progressed."
"But he's fine. The bites have healed and he's walking and talking like the rest of us." Bella pointed out.
Eugene nodded. "Yeah, that's true. But the shape of his blood cells are different. Did he have an autoimmune disorder prior to the outbreak?"
"No." Bella shook her head. "That was something I thought about initially when he didn't turn. I have Lupus. What does my blood tell you?" She asked with a nod, crossing her arms.
Eugene shook his head. "You have the same properties. Not weirdly shaped, but your cells are infected with the virus, but that's comparable to my own sample or Charlie's. We all are carrying the virus, that is a given. I am not sure what made T-Dog immune and how his blood saved Beth's because her blood is similar to yours Bella." He said and scratched his head. "I need more time to study this, more samples. I don't have all the equipment I need."
"Make a list." Bella said. "I'll get you everything you need to replicate a vaccine for this thing. This is what we need Eugene. A way to fight back against this virus. I have another project for you as well. The drone and I want surveillance systems up and running. We haven't had any run ins with Zero's men, but I don't want to wait around blind."
"Aye aye Captain." Eugene said with a salute. "I will get you that list post haste."
Bella smiled and slapped Eugene on the back. "Thanks." She said and then motioned to Negan and Charlie to meet her outside. Once outside she turned and looked at her dad and husband. "Honey what do you think?"
Negan scratched his chin. "I think boy genius is right. Need time to figure these things out. In the meantime, we keep our defense up, we make our runs and we protect our people."
Charlie nodded his agreement. He wasn't particularly fond of Negan, but he agreed with him. "He's capable of figuring it out. He's smart. I haven't met a person immune to this thing and perhaps he isn't immune, he's just responding to the virus differently than we do."
"We don't know how we would respond." Bella said. "Beth was seemingly cured when T Dogg injected her with his blood. We have no way of knowing otherwise, if it was his blood or something else. There are too many variables." Bella said and sighed. "In any case, we need equipment for the drones and surveillance. I'm taking a ride closer towards the White House. We haven't scavanged that area that-" She cut off when she heard the gate open. Eugene got it to work mechanically now with a button, so Glenn was up top hitting the button to let someone in. She walked over closer to the gate and saw the Toyota 4runner drive in and stop. Jesus and Aaron got out of the 4runner and walked over towards Negan, Bella and Charlie while Glenn shut the gate with the button behind them.
"I wasn't expecting y'all back until next week." Negan said and clasped Jesus's hand and did a small hug.
"Well we have news. We found another society. They are about 80 miles East of the Hilltop." Jesus spoke.
Bella's brows went up in surprise. "Really?"
"Yeah, they have about maybe fifty people living within their borders. They have a King." Aaron explained.
"A King?" Negan asked warily.
Jesus nodded. "Yes, he's… different, a little eccentric, but the people follow him and they love him. He has a pet tiger."
Bella perched her hands on her hips and looked at Jesus a little astonished. "A fucking tiger?"
Jesus smiled. "Yeah, Shiva. He was nice though. Wants to establish a trading route. They lack ammunition. They have farms and a good source of water. They raise sheep for wool and they have a dedicated spinner that helps spin the wool and do… whatever with it to turn it into clothes, blankets." He explained.
Bella looked at Negan. "They sound pretty established."
"Yeah." Negan said with a nod. "Okay. What sort of thing will he offer to us for ammunition."
"Men." Aaron said now. "He knows about Zero and his hold on Washington, DC."
"Wait a damn minute. Zero doesn't have a hold on DC. I have been keeping it under control for a while now." Negan input.
Aaron put a hand up. "He knows about you too. Your name carries a lot of weight and he respects the boundaries that were placed from the start. He knows for a fact that Zero occupies the White House. That is what he meant by occupying DC."
Bella shook her head. "We haven't scouted the White House. We didn't see the need since everything important would have been destroyed when they evacuated the president."
"It gave Zero the opportunity to claim it." Charlie said and nodded to Aaron. "Okay, say we give this King…"
"Ezekiel." Jesus supplied.
"King Ezekiel the ammunition, is his men competent enough to fight at all?" Charlie asked.
Aaron and Jesus looked at each other and nodded to Charlie. "He has some strong men. They're intimidating. We were met with slight hostility, but we told them we were from a safe zone like theirs and just wanted to talk to whoever was in charge. They took us to him."
Negan nodded. "Alright. Make the deal. Jesus, you're point."
Charlie frowned. "Wait a minute, just like that? Just handing over valuable ammunition on the assumption that strong looking men will help us? They could use the ammunition against us. They are a bigger establishment."
Negan raised a brow and then looked at Jesus and Aaron. "Do you think he's honorable and will stay true to his word?"
"King Ezekiel is about honor. He has a personal code and will follow it and make sure his people honor it as well." Jesus said with confidence.
"Good enough for me. You boys load up supplies, bring it to the…."
"He calls it the Kingdom."
"Right." Negan said. "Take it to the Kingdom, I'll write out a scroll, use a wax seal and all that shit, might appease the king."
Aaron smirked a little and reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll and handed it to Negan.
Negan chuckled a little and opened it, breaking the wax seal. His eyes darted over the page.
I humbly request a trade proposal. An army for ammunition and safe travels through DC. I will honor this trade with my life and the Kingdom will forever seek gratitude for an alliance of such. Sincerely, King Ezekiel.
Negan grinned a little. "He even wrote this in calligraphy. I'll be damned." He said and nodded. "Alright." He took a pen from his pocket and clicked his tongue at Jesus for him to turn around and Negan used his back as a flat surface as he scribbled on the scroll.
I accept your trade proposal. Ammunition supplies and safe travels through DC. Ditto. Negan.
"Ditto?" Bella asked, smiling with a brow raised.
"He gets the point." Negan said. "Seal it with wax, or whatever and gather the supplies. Jesus, you and Aaron take Abe and…."He drifted off and glanced around Alexandria. "Hmmm. Take Gunner over in Hilltop." He said with a nod.
Jesus took the scroll and smiled. "I will deliver this." He said with a faint nod and nodded to Aaron as they went to get something to eat and refuel and grab Abraham to go on the journey.
Charlie shook his head. "It's dangerous to make deals like this." He said, with a disapproving tone.
"Well Charlie, risks should be taken sometimes." Negan said. "I lived my life taking necessary risks and I turned out fine." He said and then looked up at Carl. "What's up son?" He asked when he saw the serious look on his face.
"Maggie is in labor. Doc and Carlisle need Glenn down off watch. I'll take his place." Carl supplied.
"Hmm."
"Dad, I'm ready. I'm a good shot." Carl insisted.
Negan blew out a breath and looked at Bella. "Alright. Go relieve Glenn. Your mom is going to help with the birthing stuff right now." He said and Carl smiled and trotted away.
Bella smiled. "He's gonna do fine." She said and tilted up and kissed him before jogging away towards the clinic to check on Maggie.
Charlie studied Negan. He admitted that it seemed like Bella was happy and that having a family had done some good. Negan wasn't who he would have chose for his daughter to marry, but he kept quiet. "So, when's Jasper getting back?" Jasper was the one in charge usually there in Alexandria.
Negan looked at his watch. "Hmm. Probably tomorrow. They were just scoping out the machinery Bella wants for the wall expansion." He looked at Charlie and saw the way he looked at him. "Listen Colonel. I'm not going to spend the rest of my days trying to impress you or kiss ass. It's not in my nature. This isn't the who has the biggest dick competition or who is more competent to lead and all that shit. I tell it like it is, I lead effectively and I have no problems making the hard decisions. I know you were at ground zero too when the shit hit the fan and how you managed to make it back stateside without other casualty I don't know, but I know this. I respect you. I get you're Bella's dad and that will never change. But, I am her husband. I won't put her in a position to take a side and I expect you to do the same. We don't have to like each other, but we do have to respect each other. Bella and the kids are my entire world. My world doesn't spin without them in it and I will give up my life to make sure they make it through this shit show. So, what do you say?"
Charlie thought about Negan's words. He nodded. "You're right. My world won't spin without them either. I'll agree to… try to get along with you. I'm not the order taking type of person. I gave orders for too long."
"Understood." Negan said. "When Jasper comes back he'll take back command, I promise you only have to deal with me making the deals and decisions only when he's not here and I usually defer to Bella if she has an issue. If she had an issue with what I agreed to today, I would have backed down and not made the deal. But we trust each other and usually agree on most things."
Charlie made a hmph sound and just nodded before he walked away. He trusted his daughter's judgement but sometimes he wondered how she ended up with the men she did.