Chapter 4: The Saviors' Rude Awakening

*****The Saviors Compound****

Simon adjusted his glasses to hide his smirk. "I am trying hard to understand, Negan," he said. "You allowed the group to leave after defying you. When do we allow that? How will we keep control of the men?"

"You weren't there," Negan said, grinning. "These two babes were out of this world even before things went to shit. Hot as hell and they literally kicked the ass of nine of my guys."

"And you just allowed them to?" Simon asked, scoffing.

"A deal's a deal," Negan said. "Hell, I didn't think they'd win. If you saw them, you wouldn't believe it possible either."

"So what are you going to do about Alexandria?" he asked.

Negan's smiled never left his face as he said, "Whatever I want, Simon. Whatever I want."

It had been two weeks since he met the dark and light angels, and he was eager to see them both again, especially the blonde. However, he wanted them to grow complacent.

He waited another week before gathering up fifty men for entry into Alexandria.

It annoyed him to see the armed guards not back down, and then the redheaded witch appeared at the top of the gate.

"Your armed thugs aren't welcome here," she said.

"Negan doesn't need permission to come in," Simon called up to her. "We'll just break down the door."

The witch waved her hand and muttered something that Negan didn't understand. However, he looked at his number one mad scientist in horror.

"He's a rat! A fuckin' rat!" Jared screamed, stepping back.

"She turned him into a rat!" David echoed, terrified. Then he ran back to his truck and jumped inside.

Negan, though, was impressed. "That's some power you got there, lady," he said to her, never losing his smile. He had to find a way to win over these newcomers as that power needed to be his!

"I know," she replied, flashing him a smug smile. "Unless you want all your men turned into vermin, I suggest you pack up and leave." Of course, she didn't have the energy to do exactly that, but they didn't know that.

"Not before I see your blonde goddess," Negan said.

"I will see if she's available," Willow said. She disappeared, and Buffy came up in her place.

"I see my dimpled psychopath has come calling," Buffy said, staring down at him.

"You and I have unfinished business, little lady," Negan said, flashing his dimple at her in a wide grin. "How about you let us in and tell your witch to keep her rat transforming powers to herself!"

Buffy laughed and turned to say something to someone.

Negan watched the door open with the other dark-haired goddess, the witch's lover, standing there.

"You can bring in three of your men. No weapons," Faith said.

"What about Simon?" Negan asked.

"Willow's spell will wear off in thirty minutes or so," Faith said. "She had a friend who turned herself into a rat in high school and got stuck there for three years. Now Willow makes sure she doesn't leave people in rat form since they can run off so easily."

"I guess that's good for Simon," Negan said, not sure how he felt about this. He looked at Jared, who hadn't gone hiding like David. "Come on, Jared. You, Dwight, and Tom come with me."

Faith gestured to the bearded guy Negan also killed a few weeks earlier. "Pat them down, please," she said.

"I request to patted down by you," Negan said, flashing his dimples at her.

"Unlike B, attractive and evil men do nothing for me," Faith said, smirking.

"So that's a no?" Negan asked.

"That's a in-your-dreams no," she replied with a smirk.

Negan enjoyed watching her walk away as he followed after her into Alexandria.

It was a very nice village. "This is quaint," he said, looking around.

"Don't like it too much," Faith said.

Buffy and Daryl were standing together as Rick and Michonne approached behind them.

"Hello," Buffy said. "Nice of you to come for a visit."

"I told you that I would," Negan said. He considered how he wanted to play it. They would kill and traumatize many of his men if he battled them. Of course, a fight would also make sure the hot blonde never slept with him. Playing it cool was his best bet to get the outcome he wanted.

"Negan, right?" Buffy said to him. "This is Daryl. He's the main hunter in our group."

"You are a hunter, too," Daryl told her.

Buffy flashed him a grin and turned back to Negan. "In case you forgot, I'm Buffy. This is Michonne. You know Rick," she said.

"I do," Negan said. "So Rick, maybe you can help me figure out where we go from here. Saviors are five times the number of people you have. They expect certain things from me. I can't lead a pack of wild animals without being the meanest dog around. Do you get me?"

Rick nodded. "I do," he said. "But stealing and destroying good communities is no way to make this new world prosper. We'll just destroy ourselves until there's nothing left."

Willow and Faith joined them. "Unlike, B, I ain't got any problem with killing evil men," Faith told him. "You want to hurt us, I'll start with you."

"Now, baby, there's no reason to start with the threats," Willow said, taking her lover's hand. "I am sure Negan much rather have us as allies than enemies."

Negan considered it. "You would fight with us if another group attacked us?" he asked.

"That depends on whether or not you slaughtered some of the people for no good reason," Rick said pointedly.

"Here's the thing," Negan began, "our community has none of the advantages your community has. We have no ground to grow things or area to keep livestock."

"That's a problem," Rick said. "You can't possibly think that you'll survive long term just stealing from others."

"It's worked so far," Negan said. "We save people, and everyone has a place in my community."

"How about we help find a better place to live for you and your people?" Buffy suggested. "Faith and I will clean it out of the dead."

"The prison we stayed at before here was very secure until someone with a canon destroyed the gate and then beheaded our doctor," Rick said.

Everyone who wasn't there winced at that image.

"That's horrible," Willow said.

"It was," Rick agreed. "But prisons are already very secure since they were built to keep people in. Many have their own wells and generators. Normally there's grass inside their area that can be used for growing things."

"Well, why don't I go check out where he's staying now? See if I can help in some way," Willow said.

"With your magic powers?" Negan asked, intrigued.

Willow nodded. "Sometimes, I can make things grow," she said.

"You have beer or wine being made at your place?" Faith asked.

Negan nodded. "Of course," he said.

"Use it to trade with communities," Faith told him.

"The guys won't like that," Dwight said. "They don't like to share."

"If you make more than normal, there will be excess," Willow added.

"I guess I'll have to think about it," Negan said.

"Daryl and I will look at the map and check out some locations," Buffy offered.

Negan wanted to spend time with the blonde. "Why don't you and I do that? If you get to know me, you'll see that I'm not so bad," he said, flashing his smile.

"Why don't we go see your place first," Buffy suggested.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Daryl said, not liking her going to a place where she'd be so outnumbered.

"Dawn can go with us, so she can portal us back here quickly if it became necessary," Buffy said.

"Xander won't like that," Willow said.

"He'll be fine. He's needed here," Buffy said. Xander had been quickly put to work on repairs as they had great use of a handyman like him.

"Let's talk about this," Rick said. "Michonne, can you give Negan and his men a tour while I talk to Buffy and Daryl?"

She nodded and led them away. Willow went with them, not trusting them alone with Michonne.

"We can't have you and Daryl both gone," Rick said.

"Daryl can stay," Buffy said.

Daryl shook his head. "I'm not leaving you alone with that psycho," he said.

Buffy smiled, finding him sweet. "You know I can take care of myself," she reminded him.

"Physically, sure," Daryl said. "But Negan is after more than just our stuff. He wants you in his bed."

"I am not going to sleep with him," Buffy assured him, trying to decide if she should be offended.

"Buffy doesn't sleep with serial killers," Dawn said as she had joined the group as Willow and Michonne broke off to give their tour. "Well, not in a long time."

"Okay, you, Willow, and Faith keep making those comments," Rick said. "What do you mean?"

Buffy felt her face grow hot and glared at Dawn, who looked guilty.

"My first serious boyfriend was a vampire with a soul, and he had a curse. One moment of happiness, and he lost his soul," Buffy explained. "Angel was a very good guy, but when we slept together for the first time, he lost his soul and became just a demon. So I didn't sleep with a killer."

"Then there was Spike," Willow reminded her.

"I had just risen from the dead, and I was suffering from PTSD," Buffy said defensively. "Spike didn't want anything from me but sex. You all wanted me to be the same as I was."

"You died?" Daryl asked.

Buffy nodded. "Not for a minute like the first time that split the line into two and eventually empowered Faith," Buffy said. "This time I was buried and in heaven for months."

"How did you get back to being alive?" Rick asked, not sure he believed her.

Daryl, though, knew. He looked at Buffy and felt a mixture of emotions: disbelief, awe, and sympathy. Could such a thing be possible? However, he knew that Willow was really a witch. She turned one of Negan's men into a rat and could force a bunch of men to drop their guns. Buffy's sister could open portals. They definitely weren't normal, so maybe Buffy did die. What kind of people, though, pulled someone from heaven?

"Willow did a spell," Buffy said.

Rick also couldn't help but wonder about the extent of Willow's powers. If Willow was powerful enough to raise the dead, maybe she could find a cure for the virus that had destroyed their world.

"She can raise the dead?" Rick asked, looking between Buffy and Dawn for an answer.

"Not exactly," Dawn said. "She had some friends help, and she got Osiris to release Buffy's soul since she died in a supernatural death. What's happening to people now is man made. She can't heal it—at least not so far."

Rick nodded but felt disappointment fill him anyway.

"So your best friends pulled you out of heaven?" Daryl asked, looking at Buffy in sympathy.

"She thought I was in hell," Buffy said. "I'm long over it."

Dawn looked away. She never knew exactly how to feel about Buffy's resurrection. Sure, they screwed up by not digging up the coffin. Maybe disturbing her eternal rest was not good, but she got her sister back. How could she ever regret what Willow did or be angry at Buffy's friend?

"Okay, let's get back to the point," Rick said. "Are you sure you and Faith can handle the Saviors? You're not bullet proof."

"I know," Buffy said. "But as long as Negan is wanting to bed me, I am sure I'll be safe."

Daryl glared, clearly unhappy about that. "Well, if you are going to go off with him and your sister, I am definitely coming to watch your back," he said.

"Willow's more than capable of doing that," Buffy said.

Daryl grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the rest of them.

"So what's wrong? Why are you trying to shake me loose?" he asked.

Buffy struggled to explain without alienating him. Finally, she just kissed him.

Daryl was shocked at her move and stood frozen for a second. Then his arms seemed to move of their own accord, pulling her closer as he responded to the kiss.

Buffy had only meant to let him know unequivocally that it was him she liked with her kiss. However, as soon as he started kissing her back, she felt a spark like she hadn't felt since she was a teenager in love with Angel. Everything inside her came alive and took notice.

This was what she had been waiting for the past few years. He was who she had been waiting for.

A need for air broke the kiss, and they stood there staring at one another while Faith whistled and cheered in the background.

Finally, Buffy spoke. "You have to trust me, Daryl. I like you not some near psychopath with a dimple," she said.

Daryl could yet form words and nodded. The comments from Faith in the background started to penetrate his fog, so he stepped back.

"So are we okay?" she asked.

He nodded again and pushed words out. "Be careful," he said.

She smiled and squeezed his hand. Negan was approaching, so she dropped his hand and moved away.

Daryl felt the distance between them grow as she greeted Negan.

Was he okay with this? Did it matter? She was her own person, and he couldn't make her do anything. He did trust her, of course.

It was Negan who he didn't trust.

Dawn moved to stand next to him. "Don't worry, Daryl," she told him. "I will make sure nothing happens to her."

Willow came to his other side. "So will I," she said. "Buffy will work her magic, and he will be putty in her hands."

Daryl wasn't exactly sure that was better, though.

He watched them all talk some more and then got ready to leave. Buffy gave him a smile and wave as she walked away.

Rick moved to stand next to him, watching the group leave.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

Daryl shrugged. "She is the most amazing woman I have ever laid eyes, and she likes me," he said.

Rick smiled. "That's a good thing," he said, slapping him on the shoulder.

"Holding onto her, though, is going to be like trying to hold water," Daryl remarked.

"All the good ones are a challenge," Rick said with a chuckle. He was happy for his friend.

Daryl wanted to pull her close, but she was leaving with another man.

It was going to be a long few days while he waited for her to return.

******To Be Continued******