Chapter 42-Running into problems

Negan's P.O.V

The group rode their horses through the city. They stop at the museum and climb off their horses. "Kenneth, Marco stays out here with the horses," Rick orders the two boys, who nod as they walk towards the door. Rick and Michonne go up to the door, pull it open, and kill the walkers before they walk into the museum. They look under a glass panel and see a small herd of walkers. They look up at a walker that falls from the balcony and falls onto the glass cracking it. Negan pulls his crowbar off his back and stabs the bottom into the walker's head. "Who the hell comes here at the end of the world?" Negan asks. Shane chuckles as he looks around.

"Spilt into your groups. Everybody stay safe and watch each other's back," Rick says. They all nod as they split up. Negan walks with Carl, and Enid.

"What exactly are we looking for here?" Negan asks.

"Anything that we can use," Carl answers as they continue to walk.

Morgan's P.O.V

Morgan swings his stick to the side and hits a walker in the head, knocking it to the ground. He jabs his stick into its head. Ezekiel kills another walker and follows Morgan. Rosita and Carol follow behind him. "You should come to the Kingdom," Ezekiel offers to Morgan, who looks at him. "Henry has missed you. It has been quite a while since you've seen him," Ezekiel explains.

"I've been busy," Morgan tells him as he glances back at Rosita and Carol, who were looking at some of the displays, not noticing.

"I suppose you have been, my friend," Ezekiel says with a smirk on his face as he looks at Morgan, who glances back and sees the look on the King's face.

"It's isn't like that," Morgan protests, waving his hand as he tells Ezekiel, whose smile just grows more prominent.

"Everybody deserves to be happy, my friend," Ezekiel says, laying a hand on Morgan's shoulder. "These are new times and a new world. Enjoy it and live," Morgan nods as he follows the man.

John's P.O.V

John walked into the big cabin and walked up to Amanda as she walked out of the radio room. "Any problems?" John asks the woman, who shakes her head.

"From what I was told. There have been no problems in the Kingdom, Alexandria, Hilltop, Oceanside, or the Sanctuary," Amanda tells John, who nods. "You seem a little out of it," Amanda comments. John locks eyes with the woman and sighs as he sits down.

"I'm confused," John admits to her with a frown on his face. He takes his hat off of his head and sets it down. He runs his hand through his hair and sighs. "Daryl wants me to help Shane and Morgan lead. I agreed to it because I wanted to help my friend. He has enough on his plate. He doesn't need to be leading right now. But I'm no leader," John says as he looks at the ground.

"I thought the same thing after Dawn died," Amanda tells John, who looks up at her. "I didn't know what I was doing, and I was scared. I wished I had taken Rick's offer to leave about a week into it, but I eased into it over time. Do you want to know why Daryl chose you and not someone like Madison?" Amanda asks John, who nods. "You're unique, John. You didn't let this world change you. You have a good heart and show mercy, even to your enemies. Daryl, Morgan, Shane. They've all been down a dark path at one point or another. Tensions are growing between the communities. It's clear, and it has been happening for months."

John blinked "wait that's a bit drastic, ever since that whole Jed situation-"

Amanda cut him off, kindly but firmly "it seems like it, but you know there are still people who think Negan should never have been released, hell not even in that cell, that he should have been executed at the end of that War."

But she decided to continue adding "the point is, that things are going to get worse before they get better. These people, they are going to need someone like you. Someone who is good and merciful, everybody here respects you and isn't the only one's. You have a good reputation at Hilltop and when it is needed. You'll be able to bring people together. Daryl chose you because you knew you would be able to do that," Amanda explains to John. A smile grew on her face as she spoke. John stares at Amanda. He was still unsure of this, but she helped get rid of some of it.

"Thank you, Amanda," John says. "I'll do my best," John grabs his hate and puts it back on. He gives Amanda a grateful smile and leaves the cabin.

Shane's P.O.V

The upper levels of the museum were silent as the pair went along...

Looking at her unexpected partner, Cyndie asked wryly, "Why did you volunteer?"

Shane Shrugged, the Ex-Deputy, gave her a charming grin. "Well, what can I say? I figured Carl could go with Rick. The two always need father-son time without me butting in."

"Right...right..." Cyndie walked along, passing by several offices, likely from the employees in days past "Something I've always been wondering...you really knew them from...before?"

Shane nodded, looking around the offices "Yup. Was the best man At Rick's Wedding... He was standing right next to him in the waiting room when Carl was born. We...well had a falling out...a big one..." He took a breath and let it out, "But now? I'd take a bullet for them. Either of them."

Cyndie raised a brow. "Really? You were also a cop, right?"

"Yup." Shane smiled at her with pride "Deputy of the King's County Georgia Police Department. Rick was the Sheriff, partners, and brothers..." Then he looked around casually "Think that's why we worked so well together...he's an optimist, I'm a realist...he likes seeing the best in people...Carl's gotten that too...maybe a bit of it rubbed off on. Me, I think."

Cyndie scowled "What? With your new little buddy?"

Shane stopped, then looked at her "what about your buddy? Maggie?"

Cyndie also stopped, just staring at him. "I told you. We just scouted ahead."

"Uh-huh." Shane stared at her for several more moments "...Carl was shot once."

Thrown by the change in topic, Cyndie blinked "What?"

"The man who did it by accident...one of Maggie's Dad's workers...Otis...good man, kind and helpful...he offered to take me to a place to get supplies to save him... there were walkers chasing us from everywhere, and we were slowing down dragging the supplies..." He looked away, his face dark "I...I shot him in the leg to distract them."

Her eyes wide in shock, she stepped back.

"I regret it every day. I still do...you want to know why I want him alive?" Shane looked at her sternly "it's because I need to know for myself if we can come back from the things we've done. That we all can."

"Easy for you to say. I don't see why you should get involved." Cyndie growled, "You weren't here. None of you were. You didn't see what they've done to us."

"Sweetheart." Shane just raised a brow, not looking impressed We've all done things to each other...and the story? It's also set to tell you what I'm capable of at my low point to protect my people. If I did that to someone, I liked... What can I do to someone I barely know?"

Cyndie was suddenly very aware they were on this floor all alone while the majority were downstairs getting the Museum supplies.

"...Are you threatening me?"

Shane gave her a grin "No, no. Just...some friendly advice." He put a hand on her very still shoulder. "Trust me, sweetheart. You'll know when I'm threatening you."

"SHANE!" He looked over, hearing Rick's voice, "Come on! We're gonna start bringing it down the steps!"

"Be right there, Brother!" Shane looked back over. "Well, back to work."

With that, the ex-deputy walked down the hall, leaving behind Cyndie staring after him, wondering if she had just escaped a very fatal encounter.

Negan's P.O.V

Negan rides his horse beside the group once again. They had gotten the seeds, beans, wagon, and a canoe. They had gotten them all out. The only problem they had was that Ezekiel almost fell through the glass, but they saved him. Negan rode beside Shane as Rosita and Morgan came back towards the group. "Bridge is out," Rosita tells Rick, who frowns.

"What happened?"

Rosita explained, gesturing ahead "A Herd came by, the weight caused it to collapse. By how much...I guess a few hundred."

Looking back, Shane asked "what about taking Route A?"

Shaking his head, Morgan answered "Still too close to the herd."

Michonne offered "We can stay in Alexandria on this side, wait till it passes."

"No." Maggie denied "Route A's taken days to clear before, I need to get home to Hershel."

At the very back of the group, Negan's lips tightened but he gave no other reaction...but he brought his head up as Rick ordered

"Gabriel, Aaron, Anne, go back to Alexandria," Rick tells Gabriel, Aaron, and Anne, who nods as they leave. "The rest of us will take an alternate route and get these supplies to the Sanctuary."

"Great, I get to return to that shitty fucking place," Negan says sarcastically.

"You should be in a cell," Cyndie mutters. Negan ignores her as they start to go towards another path.

"The rest of us will take route D. Either go to the Sanctuary or Hilltop," Rick says. The others nod as they start to move again. After another hour of riding, they stop as they get to a muddy part of the road.

"Dad, The horses can't pull the wagon through the mud," Carl says as he climbs off the horse. patting it on the head as he did so.

"Maggie, I think they need a break," Kenneth tells Maggie. also getting down as well.

"Maybe we leave the supplies. Someone sends a group back in a day or two," Morgan says from where he stood, glancing around cautiously.

"It's risky," Michonne points out. "We've seen herds run through and destroy bigger things than this."

"We can switch out the horses, split up, take 'em out in the clear, give 'em a rest while we try and get the trailers out," Rick says. They nod. The group ties ropes to the wagon and tries to pull them out. Negan looks down the road.

"Uh we got Company!" Negan says as he looks at the walkers. Rick looks down the road.

"We're almost there," Enid says, getting worried.

"One more time. One...two...three," Rick says as they all pull, Ezekiel and Negan behind the wagon pushing...and with a loud crack, they got the wagon out.

"Let's get out of here," Shane says as he pulls his knife out. The others start to move supplies as Morgan, Michonne, and Rosita go kill the walkers closest. Shane kills a walker by the horse, but the horse runs away as more walkers come.

"We gotta go. Leave the wagon!" Rick orders as they move away from it. Kenneth stops.

"I gotta free her" He says as he goes back towards the horse.

Seeing this and doing a double take, Rick yelled "Ken Wait!"

Ignoring this, Kenneth cuts the horse as a walker grabs his arm. Negan slams his crowbar into the walker's head before it can bite the teen. He pulls Kenneth back as the horse kicks, missing both of them.

"Can we fucking go?! I don't feel like dying today!" Negan asks. Rick nods as they start.

"We can kill these walkers. That won't be too hard," Morgan says.

"You three stay back and cover the rear," Rick tells Kenneth Carl and Enid, who nods as the others pull their weapons out. It takes less than five minutes for them to clear the walkers. Rick looks around. "Maggie, head back to Hilltop with the others. The rest of us will head towards the Sanctuary."

"I guess I'm coming with you." Negan says to Rick, who nods. The others nod as Maggie get's on a horse. Kenneth, Jesus, Marco, Cyndie, Carl, and Enid follow her.

"We'll see you tomorrow," Rick tells his son, who nods.

"Negan," Kenneth says, making the man look at him. "Thank you."

"Maybe one day you can return the favor," Negan says with a smirk. Kenneth smiles and nods as they leave. "Well, let's get a move on. I bet my ex-people are going to be overjoyed to see me," Negan says, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"Probably not," Rosita says. Negan chuckles as they get on their horses and start to ride towards Sanctuary.

Thanks for reading. I skipped most of the museum because I didn't change anything that happened there. Kenneth survived, and that will have some effects that you will see next chapter and a little after. The next chapter will end out this day and go into the next, and Negan returns to his old home. As always, suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.