Harry absently watches the wildlife from his perch. He is still frustrated with Negan and that he dared to leave especially after saying his pregnancy hormones, or whatever magic womb jumbo is affecting him. In a fit of frustration, his magic caused a few objects to fly toward Negan, and without waiting for a response he muttered an apology and quickly went to escape, avoiding Negan when he made a grab.
He didn't want to resort to violence at every spark of anger, and while he knows it's as much of an ass Negan was to use it against him, the man was right in that his magic is like a half tank of gas, with the rest maintaining the life growing inside his body. He is thankful for the fact that the bugle of his stomach doesn't even show, allowing the abnormality to be looked over.
Running his hand absently over the bump grins, he can't wait to see the little bean.
He hopes Negan doesn't take his foul mood out on whomever he went to terrorize, Harry is not in the mood to play peacemaker, again.
Though if he read that Rick fella' right, he wouldn't be surprised if the man is trying to lull them into a sense of security before attacking.
He needs to go visit the compounds and get a better grasp on the situation, he wonders if Ezekiel is doing okay. He sensed an illness connected to death lingering upon his person when he first met the gallivant man who plays king to lighten the horrors of the world.
Plus, Shiva is just adorable.
He leans his head onto the window ledge, the tallest area in the sanctuary, it's a good spot that allows one to see for miles in all directions, the top floor having ceiling-to-floor windows all around, some broken. He has been cooped up, wallowing in his depressed thoughts. He had told Laura to not let anyone bother him and had let her supervise everything since Simone went with Negan.
Simone is someone he still has reservations against, while he knows the guy won't openly defy them, it's not a stretch to think he would take an opportunity to ride higher if given.
Still, he has his uses, while he is loyal so Harry will let the man think he's not under any radar.
He raises a hand and absently flicks his wrist causing a small swarm of butterflies to bloom into existence before transforming them into a bubble and letting them pop into sparkles, it's something he would do when Teddy was a baby.
The ache at the thought of his boy makes his eyes shut, how he wishes he could see Teddy again. He clenches his hand tight enough to cut into his palm, pressing his fist into his mouth to stifle the scream of anguish.
Hoping the pain of his teeth soothes the suffocating feeling.
In his duress, he is too weak to notice the caravan of Negan's returning, his mind is too preoccupied with all the memories and what-ifs he'll never get to experience. He won't get to experience Teddy being a big brother, nor will he get to experience the joy of growing up.
Harry shutters, wiping his eyes, and stealing himself, as he lifts himself off the window, in the corner of his eyes he catches a familiar blonde but he dismisses it as a mirage of his desperate desire to regain what he's lost. He makes his way down, stopping into their apartment to clean up the tear stains on his cheeks and bandage his palm too tired to bother with healing it magically.
Rick Grimes stood in the aftermath of the Saviors' departure, the weight of their stolen weapons heavy in the air. The shock of the brutal loss still lingered in his bones, a disorienting blend of disbelief and dread. He closes his eyes as everyone starts yelling, after they left, including those who are scared.
They don't have their weapons anymore, the fucker took all their guns, the only Saving grace is they still have half their food.
He ignores everyone and grits his teeth, the whole situation makes him want to scream. He has to find a way to reclaim their strength, but the situation seems hopeless, especially with the threat he faced unwittingly with Negan added into the mix.
He turns his attention back, whispering to himself, "They took everything... everything we had to defend ourselves. We're sitting ducks now."
Michonne, who is closest to him, reassures him, "We need to focus, Rick."
"Losing the weapons doesn't mean we've lost everything. We can figure out a way to protect ourselves." He wants to smile at her optimism but finds no energy.
"Why did we just let them take them!" Carl screams suddenly, unable to contain himself.
He shakes his head in disbelief, his eyepatch catching the light, "What if they do something bad to them!" His son is attached to the boy who has a connection to Harry,
"What are we going to do, Dad? They took everything. We're completely exposed." He adds softly his bravado leaving him.
Rick sighs and reaches out putting a hand on Carl's shoulder, "I don't have all the answers right now, Carl. But we have to stick together."
"We have to find a way to fight back."
"Why do we have to fight? Teddy and I are friends, why can't you be friends with Negan, we shouldn't be fighting, humanity is already dying as it is!" He exclaims, pushing his father's hands off and stepping out of his reach.
Rick lets his hand fall and wishes for Lori to be here, to deal with their son, he clearly never says the right words.
.Rosita paces back and forth, and scoffs in anger, "They can't just come in here and take what they want. We need to strike back, do something, anything they still have Abrahams's body for fuck sake!"
Gabriel, speaks up quietly, "We need to think carefully that they have three potential hostages at the moment, with Glenn, Daryl, and Maggie at their sanctuary."
"Acting out of anger will only make things worse. We have to plan." He intones with a sense of exhaustion. It's always one fight after another.
Aaron starts pacing himself, Rick can see the Frustration, "We can't just sit here and wait for them to come back."
"We need to find new weapons, allies... something. We can't let them break us."
Spencer, naively looks lost, "How did we let this happen? We were supposed to be stronger than this. We were supposed to be safe."
Olivia sniffles as she pipes up from her potion, "Without our weapons, we're at their mercy." She breathes in, stuttering out, "I'm scared for all of us, for what comes next."
Rick runs a hand over his face while taking a deep breath, "We've faced tough times before." Making sure to keep meeting their gazes, he continues, "We've survived worse."
"We need to come together, stay strong, and find a way to get our strength back. We'll rebuild. We have to."
Michonne nods, her being his biggest support as steps forward, "Rick's right. We've survived because we're stronger together."
"We'll figure this out. We'll find a way."
Rosita lets a revengeful smile filter out, "I'm not giving up." She gives them all a look full of repressed emotions, her grief for Abraham palpable, "We need to keep fighting, find out where they're keeping our stuff, and take it back." We'll do whatever it takes."
He hears Carl pipe up incredulity, a look that doesn't fit his young face, "You guys are acting like they started it all, I can't believe this." He says stepping away.
Rick swallows, watching his son slam the door to the house they took as theirs, turning to the group he focuses on the task, they have to do this. Negan is a tyrant and he must protect people from them.
He nods to Aaron, "We'll start by making sure we're secure, and then we'll start planning our next steps. We stick together and stay focused."
"We'll get through this."
The sky is a dull, ashen gray as Teddy and Luna approach the imposing structure of the Sanctuary. The old warehouse looms in the distance. Its weathered facade is covered in ivy and grime.
Teddy can feel the tension in the air, a prickling sensation at the back of his neck that makes his steps falter. He glances at Luna, whose serene expression did little to calm his nerves. She moves with a grace that belied the harshness of their surroundings, her eyes fixed ahead as if she could see something that Teddy couldn't.
Negan leads the way, his tall frame cutting an imposing figure against the desolate backdrop. His leather jacket creaked as he walked, the sound somehow comforting in its familiarity. Harry loved leather too.
Simon, the odd man who constantly seems to be hovering around Negan, follows closely, his gaze darting around like a nervous bird.
Teddy tries to keep his distance from Simon, sensing something unsettling about the man, but he also finds himself inching closer to Negan, seeking some form of protection in the unknown.
The ground beneath Teddy's feet is uneven, littered with debris and broken glass. The crunch of gravel under his shoes seems unnaturally loud in the oppressive silence that surrounds them.
The people they passed along the way barely acknowledged their presence, their faces hard and closed off, but there was something in their eyes, a mixture of fear and reverence that made Teddy's stomach twist.
They look at Negan as if he were some kind of deity to be both feared and worshiped.
The doors to the warehouse are old and heavy, groaning in protest as Simon pushes them open. The interior is dimly lit, the sparse light casting long, flickering shadows on the concrete floor. The air was thick with the scent of metal and oil, and Teddy could hear the faint hum of machinery somewhere in the distance.
The silence is punctuated by the occasional creak or distant clang, sounds that make Teddy flinch despite himself. As they stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted subtly, the tension in the air thickening.
Luna as always seems wholly unaffected by the change in environment, her attention focused on something far beyond the physical space they occupied.
Teddy wonders what she is thinking, what strange visions she might be seeing. He had always known Luna to be different, but in this place, she seemed even more otherworldly, as if she belonged to some other realm entirely.
Finally, they enter a large room that must have been set up to resemble a living space, though it is still a far cry from anything comfortable. The floors were bare concrete, the walls lined with old posters and scraps of fabric that attempted to add warmth to the otherwise sterile environment.
Negan's influence is even if he barely knows the man, unmistakable in the decor, with leather chairs, a bar stocked with liquor, and a few weapons displayed prominently on the walls
Compensation, maybe? No not if he's Harry's beau, which is strange, Teddy wonders if Harry is different and if the new Harry will hate him.
Teddy shivers and can feel the eyes of the other inhabitants on him, their gazes heavy with curiosity and slight suspicion.
He shuffles closer to Luna, trying to take comfort in her calm demeanor, unfortunately, the knot of anxiety in his chest only tightens as she speaks.
"Poor Harry, soon, only a few more moments," he hears Luna muttering to herself, while she listens to Negan go on and on about his and Harry's accomplishments.
Negan too engrossed with his own story doesn't care, or notice, sits down waving towards the seats next to his love couch, "Sit, as I said before, any family of Harry's is family of mine," That makes everyone around them gape and react in disbelief.
Teddy shivers under their suddenly even more intense eyes, it reminds him of when he and Harry would go out for ice cream and get bombarded with wizard paparazzi.
"You are too kind," Luna muses, then she turns to Teddy, cupping his arm, "Teddy it's alright," she says, sensing his turmoil.
"I'm just scared he's gonna be mad at me." He whispered, but Negan hears that and scoffs, tipping back a shot of whiskey, after offering some to Luna, though it's probably got nothing on firewhiskey not that he's had any, "Kiddo, you are going to make his fucking day!"
"Who's gonna make my day?" A teasing tired tone is spoken at the entrance. Teddy freezes, his body hidden by the giant couch, he feels tears well up at the familiar voice. He takes a shuddering breath just as his father takes the presence of Luna.
"Luna!?" He hears the disbelief and shaky hope in his voice.
Oh, Merlin!" Teddy watches in a daze as Harry rushes in front of Luna, his back facing Teddy, most certainly looking at her with disbelief before engulfing her in a hug.
Teddy stares and stares, he just stares. How can he not when it's his father?
The one who protected him. Who chose him, who raised him?
The one who tucked him in, the one who looked under his bed and made sure no monsters were under it. His father made sure to wake up every midnight on Teddy's birthday, with a cake personally made by Harry.
The one who always made him feel safe.
"D-daddy…" he says, his breath hitching. He watches in slow motion as Harry tenses like he was electrocuted. He holds his breath as Harry turns, a smug grin spreads on Negan's face as he watches it all.
Teddy can see the moment his dad registers who's in front of him because Harry doesn't even take more than a step before he crumbles onto his knees like a broken doll, "Teddy?" His daddy croaks.
Teddy feels tears running down his cheeks as his daddy reaches out and shakily cups his face, "My Teddy Bear? I- is that you?"
"Is this real?" Harry whispers, and that breaks the dam.
Teddy launches forward with a sob, slamming into the warm familiar embrace, letting all the fear, all the guilt he's been holding in rush out as Harry's arms encase him in a hug,
"I am real, Daddy!" He wails.
"Don't hate me, I'm sorry!" He cries, pressing his nose into his daddy's neck, the scent gland soothing his instincts as he is surrounded by a pack, his alpha.
He is safe again.
"Don't hate me!"
"I didn't mean to."
A/n:
I was gonna be mean (since, I had it already ready) and was thinking of making ya wait a whole week.
But I decided to spoil you guys, especially after a unannounced hiatus.
I hope I did the reunion justice and it was worth the wait.