Chapter 129-The Calm Before

Daryl's P.O.V

Daryl walked into the theater and looked at Rick, Ezekiel, Carol, Reilly, Arat, Michonne, John, Morgan, Shane, and Maggie all around the stage as Ezekiel was laying down a map of the area surrounding the Kingdom. "Hilltop not here yet?" Daryl asks.

"No, they should be here soon," Maggie says. Daryl nods as he walks up and looks at the map. "Because of the Highwaymen, all the roads are protected and cleared."

"That doesn't mean that we're safe." John pointed out. "We know what these people are. We know what we can do. They could kill people and get in here."

"We know our people. Alpha won't do that. We have the Highwaymen patrolling the roads along with our own, they'll keep our people and families safe." Maggie says.

"This meeting was called so we could talk about what we do after the fair is over," Ezekiel says.

"We still don't have the numbers, we don't know yet about the size of this Horde," John says.

"We might have the numbers to fight the people in her camp," Arat says. "But that herd, John's right. We don't have the numbers."

"Once we kill Alpha and the rest of the Whisperers, We can make sure the herd is destroyed. We'll figure something out, one step at a time comrades." Ezekiel says. "We first have to get rid of Alpha."

"We could take their tactic and herd them far away from here," Carol says. "Maybe Georgie saw a place we could take the walkers."

"I'll talk with her as soon as she gets here" Maggie nodded firmly.

"The fair is tomorrow. Let us enjoy today and tomorrow, and then the real fight begins. Let us enjoy the time we have with our friends and family in case they are taken from us. Let us enjoy what we have built," Ezekiel nodded.

Arat held a hand up and walked to the map, staring "There's still something...bugging me about this."

"What's wrong?" Reilly stepped next to her.

"They knew specifically who Rick and Daryl were, they knew names. Locations, they specifically set a trap for Morgan and Rosita...as if someone knew you would come in particular Daryl."

Daryl looked at her, brow furrowed "We went over this. They probably kept some people from Oceanside alive and got the info from them."

Arat shook her head "I don't know, I'm starting to wonder."

"Wait." Rick stood up from his seat, looking anxious "You think Alpha learned of us from...what a leak? A mole?"

John looked worried at that "Shit. Think they kept Mark alive before they killed him?"

Ezekiel held a hand up "We'll discuss this at a later time my friends. For now let us depart."

Carl's P.O.V

Carl walks over to the wagons from Hilltop and walks up behind Earl. "Did the ride break your hips, old man?"

"No, but the hammer I swing on your head will, you little brat" Earl says as he turns around and looks at the young man. Carl smiles as he hugs the man tightly who hugged back still strong. "It's good to see you, kid."

"You too." Carl says. "Where's Tammy?"

"She's helping Beth and Tara get Noah settled."

They named him Noah?" Carl asks with a smile, and Earl nods, an inquisitive look on his features.

"Was it someone you knew?"

"Yeah, he was a good guy, a friend." Carl says. "So what are you trading?"

"The finest weapons any man can get!" Earl says with a smile, patting his wagon with a look of pride. "You wanna help?"

"Maybe, but I gotta make sure Arya and her new girlfriend don't sneak off."

"Girlfriend?" Earl did a take at that, looking at his old apprentice confused.

"Lydia, Alpha's daughter."

Earl stared at this for a moment then shook his head "She has a strange taste."

"She's a nice girl, a bit shy and soft spoken but Arya trusts her." Carl says. "She belongs with us, Earl. I know it."

"I've always trusted your gut, kid. It's never been wrong before. Alright, I want to meet this girl who somehow managed to tame your wild child."

"Tamed? The world will end before Arya is tamed cause I learned that recently." Carl grinned as Earl followed.

"So whose Lydia staying with in the meantime?" Earl asked inquisitive.

"Negan and Kate."

Earl sighed "Oh goddamit, is he already saying you two are In Laws?"

Carl deadpanned "Yes. Multiple times."

"Poor you kid!" Earl grinned, slapping his back.

Daryl's P.O.V

Daryl walked through the Kingdom and turned around when he felt someone tap his shoulder. He turns around and looks at the blond next to him. "Hey, Mr. Dixon."

"Mrs. Greene." Daryl smirked

"Chambler-Greene." Beth corrected with a smile as she hugged him tight

"Mrs. Chambler-Greene, my apologies." Daryl says, and hugged her back.

"I've heard you've had some marriage problems?"

"How did you find that out?" Daryl let her go, a confused look at her somehow hearing that.

"My sister, you know? One of your best friends?" Beth says with a smile.

"She was just worried." Daryl shook his head, reassuring her. "We figured it out."

"You know when we left the prison. I never thought we would be talking about you having problems with your wife."

"I thought I would be dead, or just never with a woman" Daryl grunted. "You would have been so annoying that I threw myself into a herd," Daryl says with a smile. Beth slaps his shoulder.

"You missed me, Daryl Dixon, and you know it."

"I missed you until I got you back, and then I wanted to throw myself from the walls of Alexandria."

"Shut up!" Beth says. "Well, show me the Stands. You've been helping with them."

"Fine," Daryl says as she grabs his arm, causing him to look at her in disbelief. "What are you doing?"

"Treat me like a lady. You're giving me a tour." Beth grinned ear to ear as she wraps her arm around his.

"I hate you." He says as they walk, and she laughs.

Nick's P.O.V

Nick walks up to Strand, who was starting to set up Hilltops stands as he turned, saying with a grin. "Nick, what can I do for you?"

"I wanted to talk with my friend, nothing wrong with that!" Nick defended. "Where is your husband?"

"Off with Tobias and Amanda. I think comforting her after what happened with Dwight." Strand answers.

Nick looked worried "How is she?"

"Wound is still raw and fresh Nick." Strand looked at him steadily "It'll be quite some time, but she's strong. She'll manage. And...Husband, you never expected to be asking me where my husband was?"

"I didn't think we would make it out of that camp. I mean in case you forgot I was almost half high out of my mind." Nick tells him.

Strand paused his building and looked flatly at him "And yet still stole the key from me."

Nick grinned "Hey I have quick hands."

"Besides I told you we would, Nick Clark, trust me." Strand says.

"I think if I trusted you, I would be insane. That's the best part about you, Victor Strand. No one on this planet can predict what you will do."

"Do you remember what I told you when you asked me if you were insane?" Strand smirked.

"The only way to survive a mad world is to embrace the madness." Nick quoted.

"Just remember that Nick Clark, and you will be fine," Strand reassured him.

Kate's P.O.V.

As the gates opened, Kate let out a laugh and rushed to give the arrivals a tight hug, kissing Gabe on both cheeks. "Oh God, look at you. After the last few days, you guys are a sight for sore eyes."

Gabe blushed. "Kate, we're fine!"

Javier chuckled and happily kissed Kate's cheek. "Yeah, nice to see you too, Kate...are you-"

"Yes, I'm fine, and your little niece-to-be is fine." Kate rubbed her stomach, reassuring her former brother-in-law and best friend.

Eyes widening, the former baseball player said, "It's a girl?!"

"Yes, just a mother's intuition."

"I thought it was the ultrasound." Kate's face fell as an amused Carol came up with Jerry, Nabila, Maggie, Jesus, June, Deacon, and Sarah came up to the gates to help with the supplies from Richmond.

Shaking hands, Jerry grinned. "What's up, dudes? Richmond holding out?"

With a weary look on his face, indicating a few sleepless nights, Javier answered, "Yeah, we're the farthest away, yes, but Clint promised he has things well in hand. If Rick is telling the truth that Alpha knows about the communities, she knows about Richmond too. We got up here fine, though."

Pausing, Deacon looked over. "No walkers at all?"

"None."

"That's worrying," Deacon mumbled as Sarah came up to Kate with a frown.

"Kate, for God's sake, you're almost eight months along. You shouldn't be working."

June came behind Sarah, apologizing, "I'm sorry she sorta snuck off when I was checking on J.J."

Grabbing a small bag, she gave Sarah a stern look. "Pregnant. Not invalid. I can handle myself."

"Let her." Maggie sighed. "When I was pregnant with Hershel, Tara and Earl loved talking about how unreasonable I was."

With that, they started to bring the supplies out, June insisting Kate only take a small bag, the crates handled by Jerry and Jesus, who chatted along the way. Kate walked a bit behind Javier and Gabe, who were telling Carol and Maggie what they saw on the road.

She was thankful that Maggie seemed nice enough to her, despite whose child she was carrying. And she was always curious if Carol was as terrifying as Negan made her out to be, always being a sweet, kind woman.

Getting the supplies, Gabe asked his former stepmother, "So it's a girl. Got names yet?"

Kate shrugged. "Still deciding, Negan likes Hilary after his Mom, but I did like Mary after...after Mariana." Her voice caught in a hitch, remembering her sweet stepdaughter.

Javier put a hand on her shoulder. "Those sound nice."

Shaking her head, Kate grinned. "Better than the other name Negan suggested. Carly."

Nabila laughed. "Oh God, does Carl know?"

"No, I talked him down." Kate rolled her eyes, knowing the almost childish protest Negan gave. "Right now, we'll make a final decision when this fair is over and these skins are taken care of."

"How is she?" Kate paused and looked at Maggie, who looked inquisitive. "The girl Lydia. How is she?"

Kate nodded. "Coping. I think Arya's with her."

Maggie shook her head in a tone that was both fond and exasperated. "Always tries to do the right thing but never thinks it through."

Jesus grinned. "Well, sneaking into an enemy camp without a plan sounds like Carl's kid, alright."

Dorie's P.O.V

Dorie sat on one of the porches watching John with June and JJ, June happily showing the third generation of John's all the happy sights while his son was in the back, looking worried. He would have to speak to him, knowing his boy was deeply concerned about the fair taking place. "You okay?" He looks up at Sherry and smiles at his old traveling partner.

"I am, truly." Dorie says then pauses as he looked at them again then back at her. "Can I be honest with your Sherry?"

"Course. What is it?" Sherry says as she sits down beside it.

"I know I don't have long left." Dorie started with a smile and seeing her dismayed face, clearly still grieving for her ex husband's death.

"Don't say that, please," Sherry says.

"I'm over eighty years old, sweetheart. Even Before it was a miracle for most people to live that long. I imagine that this war will be my last. If I make it through it, I do believe I will let go. Or at least the last few years watching my grandson." He assured her warmly. "But I do not fear death. I was given a second chance with my son, and I know that I have not wasted it." Dorie reaches into his holster and pulls out his sawed-off shotgun. holding it out to Sherry.

"No." Sherry looked at it then back up.

"You got me here dear, you gave me this chance. John has my guns. I want you to have this." Dorie gently tells her.

"You aren't dying today, John. You'll need it." She shook her head.

"I know, but please, take it." He says, and she stared for a moment more, then sighs, nodding as she takes the gun. "Don't tell John about our talk. I want him to enjoy the time we have left."

"I promise," Sherry says as she stands up and walks away.

Jesus's P.O.V

Jesus walks away from Aaron and Gracie after Aaron told them to come by later for the fair. He noticed one form looking from one of the balcony's and went over to Maggie, sitting down. After a minute of warm silence, Jesus looked over at his long time friend with a cheeky grin "So, did you see this when you came to Hilltop?"

"No, but I'm not complaining." Maggie says. "I have an amazing wife and my son, and you have an amazing husband and daughter. And to think all of this is because you decided to steal a truck from two strangers whose asses you kicked."

"The best decision I ever made, and don't let Daryl hear you say that, I think he's always been a bit pissed one guy beat him and Rick up." Jesus says with a grin. "Marrying Aaron was the best thing to ever happen to me, but meeting you, Rick, Daryl, That was the second."

"We all owe you." Maggie looked at him

"You don't." Jesus says, a bit of red coming to his cheeks and waving it off "You would have come across Hilltop eventually."

"We do." Maggie insisted, laying a hand on his arm. "The bigger world, the New World, you started it, Paul, when you stole that truck when you broke into Rick's house. So everybody can give credit to Daryl, Rick, and Carl, but I know it was you. Everything we have now, it's because of you."

"Yeah I want them to get the credit cause it's true. I mean, you make me sound like a hero, Maggie. I'm no hero. I'm just a fighter and a runner, that's it." Jesus says with some embarrassment and shyness.

"To me, you are." Maggie says. "A hero and one of my best friends" She kisses his cheek and walks away, and Jesus stares at her with a smile then down as the people began to gather for the fair.

He saw the gate open and stood, realizing it was time for the next patrol to get out. Normally he would stay, but he had a feeling Ezekiel had some surprise for him and wanted to escape the attention.

Walking downstairs, he couldn't help but shake a small but growing, bad feeling grew in his gut.

Brandon's P.O.V

Brandon walked into the Whisperer camp, the bag ripped off and forcibly knelt down. He looked at Alpha as she walked up to him and saw a towering figure behind her. He knew right away from the description that it was the supposed 'Monster' Beta. "They said you were dead."

"They were wrong." Beta growls, glaring at him murderously.

He immediately regretted opening his mouth as he looked down, but Alpha soon knelt to his level.

"What are you here for?" Alpha asks, clearly disinterested. Now Brandon wondered if she was planning on killing him.

"I have information, a way for you to attack." Brandon says. "A way for you to show them that you are the most dangerous person they have ever faced."

Beta spat on the ground "He is weak and pathetic. Allow me to dispose of him."

Alpha raised a single hand and Beta fell quiet in obedience, Brandon awestruck at the level of command and reverence these people had for her.

"What is this way?" Alpha asks, her head tilted curiously.

"Tomorrow, there is a fair. Everybody will be there, from all the communities." And he hastily from his pocket held out a map "and these are the roads in and out of the Kingdom, where their patrols will be."

For a moment, she said nothing but then a smile started to grow on her face.

Thanks for reading. If that isn't enough of a hint, here it is. The next chapter will be about the spikes. I am very nervous about writing this scene and this entire chapter but it has to be done. As always, suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.