Chapter 105-Accepting him
Daryl's P.O.V
Daryl sat in the back of the MRAP with Alicia. Beth and Maggie were in the front looking back. "So, what do you think?" Maggie asks him.
"They haven't attacked anybody," Daryl says with a shrug, looking out the window. "They could just be making a break for it," Daryl answers as the radio goes off.
"Daryl," Troy says over the radio. Beth grabs the radio and holds it out to Daryl, who grabs it with a nod
"I'm here, Troy. What's up? Find anything at the Sanctuary? Or...well what's left of that shithole?" Daryl asks him.
"A walker and a note. Regina wants to meet with Negan and Laura. She's saying they are leaving and going to find somewhere else to live. They want to offer Negan and Laura a chance to join them for 'old time sake'?" Troy tells him.
"Where do they want to meet?" Alicia asks.
"I'll give you three guesses," Troy says.
After a moment, Maggie's face tightened as Daryl looked at it and then down.
"The clearing?" Daryl asks.
"That's right." Troy answers.
"Where is Negan at right now?" Alicia asks.
"He's at Alexandria right now. They found a group; the closest community to them was there." Troy tells him.
"We're pretty close. We'll go there, talk with Laura and radio us," Daryl tells him.
"Okay, will do," Troy tells him before the radio goes silent.
"Maggie, head for Alexandria," Alicia tells her friend, who nods as Daryl radios Hilltop.
Troy's P.O.V
Troy walked up to Laura and sat down beside her. "You thinking about going?" Troy asks her.
"Don't worry. I don't plan on going anywhere. But I do want to go and talk with her and that group. Try and convince them to come back, even if Regina could be a bitch, I knew her a long time." She explains with a scoff.
"Nobody's going to stop you or Negan, but before you do anything, you need to talk with Negan." Troy tells her. "We can go to Alexandria if you want."
"Let's go to Alexandria," Laura says. Troy nods as he stands up and follows her to a car.
"And besides..." Laura said as they got to the car. "I think I already know his answer."
Shane's P.O.V
Shane walked out of the infirmary and looked at Deacon and Negan. "Well?" Deacon asks.
"Lilly said that the two women should make a full recovery. The man is who she's worried about. He has an infected wound that could kill him." Shane tells them with concern.
"You think the missing Saviors did this?" Negan asks him.
"No, the wound is a gunshot wound. It would have taken a few days to get as bad as it is. Reiley said Regina and the others left yesterday, they couldn't have done this." Shane says as they see Carl's car stop in front of the church, stepping out and walking up to them.
"What are you guys doing here?" Carl asks.
"Found a group. We were close to Alexandria," Negan explains. "Lilly is taking care of them."
Carl nods as he sits down beside them. "How'd it go at the Sanctuary?" Deacon asks him.
"I don't think we are going to have any more problems with the Saviors. Oceanside is being guarded until we know their plans...and why do you guys look worried," Carl asks
Shane grimaced again "Good news is we think those missing are just trying to leave and the bad news, we think this group was attacked by someone."
Carl's eye furrowed and he opened his mouth but paused as the gate opens again and the MRAP drives into Alexandria. "What are they doing here?"
Daryl, Maggie, Beth, and Alicia climb out of the MRAP and walks up to them. "Troy found a note from Regina at the Factory. She wants to meet with you and Laura." He tells Negan. "Laura is on her way here with Troy."
"Reg?" Negan looked confused "Why the hell didn't she radio or something? What does she want to meet about?" Negan asks.
"She wants you two to leave with her," Alicia tells him. Negan stares at her for a moment before he starts to laugh. After a couple of seconds, Negan stopped laughing and looked at them in disbelief.
"Is she fucking crazy!? Why in the hell does she think I want to leave and eat dead animals on the forest floor and sleep with one eye open, waiting for a shit bag to sneak up on us and tear my throat open!? The world would end if it lost my beautiful personality!" Negan says with a grin, to some smirks and other unimpressed looks, particularly Daryl's annoyed scowl.
"The world's already ended." Maggie says dryly.
"Not the point. I don't want to go with that crazy bitch, look I know her let me just talk to her and try to get this squared away." Negan tells them.
"Wait till Laura gets here. The least you guys can hear her out and make sure she isn't going to do anything stupid." Carl tells him.
Negan sighs but nods, rolling his eyes "Dammit fine, you know I can't say no to your one eyed ass."
Rick's P.O.V
Rick stood on his porch watching the street. He looks at Daryl as he walks up to his porch. "How are you doing, brother?" Daryl asks him as he leans up against his railing.
"Pretty good." Rick answers as he rubbed his leg then looked over in concern. "How is the savior situation?"
"We're dealing with it. It shouldn't be a problem for too much longer," Daryl tells him. "How are Little Ass kicker and Andrea?"
Smirking at that old nickname, Rick chuckled "They're good, Andrea's a damn spitfire."
But then he paused and looked around the area if anyone was nearby, then to Daryl seriously, who raised a brow in confusing "Can I tell you something? I need you to promise me you won't tell anybody. Not even Michonne knows what I'm about to tell you."
"I won't say anything. I promise."
"I went to see Lily a few days ago. She wanted to look at my leg. Daryl, she said something had changed. It wasn't the same as last time." Rick tells him.
"What does that mean?" Daryl asks, concerned and standing up
"She said there might be a chance it is starting to heal. Like really heal." Rick tells him with a smile. "A chance that I might be able to walk again," He says softly.
"Hell yeah!" Daryl says as he hugs him. "But why haven't you told anybody?"
"I don't want to get their hopes up. She said it might be, but she isn't sure yet. I told you because I needed to tell someone, and I knew you would keep quiet and because I want you to know that if my leg does heal, I want you to stay the leader of the alliance."
"Wha? Rick-"
Holding a hand up, Rick said sternly "It's thrived under you. That new world that we've been fighting for. That Carl saw, it's coming, I know it, and part of that is because of you. Because of your leadership. My time for leading had passed, man, when I gave you the reins after what happened. I knew it was going to be okay, and I was right," Rick tells him. Daryl nods after a moment and lays his hand on Rick's shoulder.
"I'll continue leading until I'm no longer able to. You have nothing to worry about." Daryl reassures him as they see Troy's truck. "I gotta go."
Rick nods as Daryl walks away.
Negan's P.O.V
Negan looks at Laura as she walks up to them with Troy behind her. "So, what do you think?" Laura asks him, worried.
"I say we go talk to them, see what they have to say, try and convince them not to do anything stupid. If they do, we'll handle it." Negan answers.
"You sound very certain." Troy chimed in.
Negan paused then shrugged "Regina's violent, but not a complete idiot, she would know they'd come after her."
Laura nods at that as Daryl walks up to the infirmary.
"Carl, Shane, Alicia, Beth, Maggie, and I will follow in the MRAP. We'll stay back but be close enough to help you if you need help." Daryl tells them. "You coming, Deacon?"
"No, I'm going to stay here with the others and wait for these people to wake up so we can get some answers," Deacon tells him. Daryl nods.
"Let's move out."
Clearing
Negan drove his truck down the dirt road until they reached the clearing, where they saw Regina and her group, near a large truck, Regina leaning against it, tapping her arms.
"I hate coming back here," Negan says as he shuts the car off. He sat in the truck for a minute, staring at the place Glenn's body once laid. The memories from that night flowed through his head.
"Negan," Laura says gently, breaking him from his thoughts. "Come on."
"You have the radio?"
"Yeah, it will be in my pocket. They'll hear everything, the second they get violent they'll come in shooting." Laura tells him.
With that the pair got out, heading to the middle...Laura looked at them sternly while Negan was giving his former commander his grin.
"Regina, you have led these souls horribly astray," Negan says as they walk to the front of the truck to stare at Regina and her group.
"I am saving them. Do you remember when you used to save people? When we all had a purpose?" Regina stared at her former leader sternly.
"Reg-"
"No don't try to sweet talk me!" Regina pointed at him "There's no fucking way I'm letting those Ocean bitches back with us! After last time when they went all death squad on us, they shouldn't be back!"
"Look We're building the new world. We are saving people, properly this time. The Saviors weren't saving anybody. My mind was all fucked up, was a crazy fuck. I said it four and a half years ago, and I'll say it again. Me getting thrown in that cell was the best thing to ever happen to us," Negan says calmly.
"It wasn't. Turned you into a damn softie," Norris says.
"You stay quiet. The adults are talking." Laura barked tells the man, who takes a step back.
Grinning at her, Negan looked back "Ok Regina, listen... lets all head back, no harm no foul...you stay out of the Oceanside resident's way they'll stay out of yours."
"Oceanside killed your people! You kept us safe and then you turned your back on them!" Regina shouted, Laura tensing, wary she might lost it...knowing she always had a vicious temper.
"They weren't my people!" Negan shouted back. "You aren't my people! I don't give a rat's ass about any of you! My people are Daryl, Alicia, Shane, Madison, Alden, and Morgan. Everybody else at the campgrounds. Carl, Rick, Ezekiel, Nick, Earl, Tammy, Reilly, Arat, Beth, Tara...Maggie...Hershel. Those are my people! You stopped being my people years ago, and at least at the Sanctuary, you were one of us, but now you mean nothing to me unless you decide to go back. NOW." Negan growls.
"We aren't doing that." Regina says.
"Then leave, because if you try and attack Oceanside or anyone else. You'll die. All of you need to leave and don't ever come back."
"Come with us. Negan, I know you believe those people are your people. But they aren't. They will never forget what you did here. They'll never forgive you for it."
"They will, they have. Maggie will never forgive me for what I did. I know that. But Rosita has, Carl has, Daryl did, and that is all I need. So you are going to get in that truck and leave, and if I ever see you again, I'll make sure I bring you right back here and let the walkers get you." Negan growls.
"Oh really what about those kids?"
Negan went still "...What?"
Regina stared and turned to the truck, walking to it...gesturing to others to head in...clearly leaving "You want to stay? Fine...but those kids...the Grimes kids, Dixon's kids, little Mrs Rhee's Son?"
Laura looked over in worry as Negan was just staring at Regina, still as a statue.
"You know it's only a matter of time before they all learn the Full story of who little 'Uncle Negan' used to be. Especially Mrs Rhee's son? You think they'll accept you when they learn you were the boogeyman?"
Without waiting for a response, Regina entered the truck and left...leaving behind a deadly quiet Clearing.
"They're gone, Daryl," Laura says on the radio a minute later.
Walking up, she put a hand on Negan's still arm and asked "You good?"
"...Yeah...yeah, I'll be fine. Let's head back
Daryl's P.O.V
Daryl let out a sigh as he set the radio on the seat. "Nobody's dead," Daryl mumbled. "We did it."
"We're...letting them go?" Shane asked, clearly unsure of that decision and shaken by Regina's parting remarks.
"We're not wardens Shane and they ain't prisoners." The Archer shook his head "As long as they don't kill anybody and don't agrue, Let's just let them go, if they want to take their chances out there, let em."
"He's right." Maggie nodded..."Daryl...it is true? Did you forgive him?" Maggie asks him. Everybody looks between the two of them as Daryl nods.
"That a problem?" Daryl asks her.
"No, it's not. I want to hate him, but I don't. I don't forgive him. But I don't hate him anymore. He's one of us. He has been for a while now. It's just taken me a while to accept it." Maggie starts the MRAP and starts to drive.
Even so there was a vague sense of unease among the others...with those parting remarks.
How long till they told their children what he used to be?
Deacon's P.O.V
Deacon sat by the infirmary, then turned as He looked at the door as it opened, and Lily came out. "One of them is awake," Deacon nods as he stands up and walks in with Charlie and Rachel behind him. They walk up to the younger woman and sit down beside her.
"How are you feeling?" Deacon asks her.
"Not too bad," She answers, coughing.
"The people who attacked you. You know where they are?"
"No, we were in the woods. They kept us blindfolded most of the time," She answers.
"Do you know what they want?" Charlie asks, on her other side.
"They were looking for someone. They said that this man had to die for what he did to their people. For what they did to their leader." She tells them.
"You have a name for the person they are looking for?" Rachel asks.
"Deacon St. John."
Thanks for reading. This was a really fun chapter to write. A lot of character growth for Negan and Maggie and an ominous warning for the future. That is it for the runaways saviors for now. Who are these people after Deacon, and what did he do to them? That will be talked about more in the next chapter. As always, suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.