Chapter 140-The storm
Three months after the spikes
Daryl's P.O.V
Daryl walked outside of his cabin and looked at the snow on the ground and then at the gathering clouds with a grimace.
"What do you think, boss?" Daryl turned to see Negan walking up, looking at the clouds as well with a concerned expression
"I think last night was bad. I think tonight is gonna be worse." Daryl tells him.
"What do you wanna do?" Negan said worriedly, rubbing his hands knowing that the winter had been bad so far.
"We're going to group up, and move everybody to the cabins with the larger fireplaces, mine, the big cabin, Shane's, Yours, and Alden's." Daryl tells Negan, who nods as he saw the first flurries of snow start to come down, as Tobias comes up to the pair.
"Daryl! Maggie's on the radio."
Daryl nods as he walks to the big cabin and grabs the radio. "Maggie, what's wrong?"
"The trailers aren't warm enough for these storms. There's too many of us to hold up inside of Barrington house. Earl, Kenneth, and some others are heading to Alexandria and the Kingdom. I was wondering if Beth, Tara, Al, Noah, Hershel, and I could come and stay at the Campgrounds?"
"Who will watch Hilltop?" Daryl furrowed his brow.
"It will just be for today. Rick and Ezekiel are pulling some wood stoves from storage and the warehouses, their the ones Paul collected. We have collected a lot of them."
"Don't you have some at Hilltop?"
"We don't have enough for everybody. Last winter wasn't this bad, and We got a lot of people over the last year. Tomorrow we'll get them set up, and we'll be fine," Maggie tells him.
For A Long moment Daryl paused, but knowing that Maggie was far better then n the past he said. "You sure?"
"Like I said it's until the storm passes. I think it's overnight, we used to see them a few times on the Farm so it'll be quick but brutal.
"Alright." Daryl says. "I'll see you later."
Negan's P.O.V
Everybody stood inside of the Main cabin standing and sitting around, Negan looked around at the worried faces, overhearing talks that the snow was getting worse, then saw Daryl stand in front as everyone quieted. "Alright, so Maggie's bringing several Hilltop residents over due to overcrowding at the trailers and houses! Theygoing to be coming here today until they can get more woodstoves to Hilltop, which should happen by next week. We'll be splitting everybody up in separate cabins: mine, this cabin, Shane's, Negan's, and Alden's. Alicia, Maggie, Al, Hershel, Ofelia, Merle, Charlie, Rachel, and I will be in my cabin. Alden, Tara, Beth, and Noah will be in Alden's cabin. Negan, Arya, Lydia, Kate, Rose, Morgan, Coco, and Rosita will be in Negan's cabin. Shane, Madison, John, June, JJ, and Tobias will be in Shane's cabin." Daryl tells everybody, who all nodded looking around.
"Alright, get ready. Tonight is gonna be rough." With that the meeting broke as as they left the cabin, singling out and already starting to shiver seeing the flurries.
Shane walks up to Negan. "You okay?"
"Hell wouldn't I be?" Negan gave a grin, but faded as he saw Shane's raised eyebrows.
This would be the first time Maggie would see him since Rose's birth, him a father now
Alicia's P.O.V
Alicia looked at the door as it opened, and Maggie and Hershel came inside. "Hey!" Alicia came up as she hugs her friend then Hershel also ran up and hugged around her waist. "Hey, Hershel, Ofelia, and Merle are in the barn if you want to go see them." Alicia tells the boy, who looks at his Mom eagerly, for permission. Maggie nods, and Hershel smiles as he ran off with the two looking after him a moment, then Alicia looked around. "Where's Al?"
"Talking with John." Maggie tells her as she sits down in the chair across from her.
Alicia sat as well, asking worriedly "The road's clear?"
"Tough but we managed." Maggie assured her "Wasn't the first bad winter we had, I remember the one after we left the farm, that was almost as bad as this."
Nodding with a sigh, she said "Yeah tough being a California girl over here."
Maggie grinned, lightly shoving her shoulder "Pansy."
"Oh shut up!" Alicia chuckled lightly, swiping the hand away.
"How is she? Rose?"
At the sudden question from Maggie, she looked up in surprise.
"She's healthy. She keeps Kate up, though, and I think Negan's been trying to find ear muffs. Mom has been helping here whenever she's not with Shane."
After a moment, Maggie nodded then changed the subject. "So, where are we sleeping?"
"Charlie's old room, there is a bed in there for you, and Al and Hershel can share with Ofelia and Merle." Alicia tells Maggie, who nods as she walks towards the room, putting her bags on the bed as Alicia stared after her and nodded, relieved she was going to be OK after the last few months.
Lydia's P.O.V
Lydia stood in front of the graves, with a rare flower in her hand staring at them for a long moment. She closed her eyes and rubbed them both as a snowflake got into them, trembling slightly. "Lydia." She turns around and looks to see June Dorie coming up, looking at her tenderly. "You need to get inside, sweetie. The snow could start getting worse any second." Lydia doesn't answer as she turns to look back at the graves, arms folded over her chest . After a minute to see she wasn't coming, June said softly. "This wasn't your fault."
"I should have never gone with them when they came for Arya and the others. If I stayed with my mother, they would all still be alive." Lydia said bitterly.
"No, they wouldn't." June says, resting a hand on Lydias shoulder. "Dwight would have died regardless of if you stayed or not. As for the rest, maybe your Mom wouldn't have killed them during the fair, but she still would have done it because she doesn't like how we live, she hates what we have built. She might have waited a couple of weeks, and if she did, it could have been Carl, Enid, Daryl, Alicia, any of us on those spikes. Your mother made her choices, and she will die for it, they are not your sins to carry, and neither is the guilt." June tells her. "Now, please, go inside."
Lydia slowly nods silently as she walks away
Negan's P.O.V
Negan sat on his porch, watching the kids as they played, well...almost all of them.
"Don't want to join them Coco Bean?" He looked behind him, seeing Coco patting a snowball and showing it to Rose, who was sitting inside on a blanket laughing loudly.
"Nope!" Coco beamed, the five year old chirping "Me and her are gonna be besties so I have to show her everything, including snow!"
Negan chuckled, reaching down to rub Coco's head "Ok ok, but I'll keep her here. You go and play."
Coco pouted and stood, and looked over. Suddenly she gasped, looking over "Oh Hershel's here, can he see Rose?!"
Before Negan could answer, he heard a voice "Let her get used to the cold Coco."
They turned and Coco ran up shouting "Aunt Maggie!" Hugging her legs as Maggie gave a smile, kissing her head.
"Like he said, just play with them for right now."
Sighing, Coco ran up and gently kissed Rose's cheek, who just giggled loudly "Ok!"
And like that, she ran off to join the others.
He looked at Maggie as she walked up to him, sitting on the chair on the other end looking as Coco ran up to the others, already throwing snowballs. After a moment, she asked him "You tell them yet?"
After a moment, he said quietly "When I tell them, everything changes. So...not yet, not until I know that Crazy Bitch is being delt with. But I'm not holding off on it, they need to know, even if they hate me for it after."
"They love you. If we've raised our kids right, which I think we have, they'll learn to be better." Maggie said calmly "We have to be better. For them."
Snorting, Negan said "Weally? I haven't done that? You saw what I did to-"
"He deserved it," Maggie cut him off right away. "If I've learned anything since Alpha, it's that we're never safe, even if it looks like we are. Make sure you don't have any regrets any case anything does happen." Maggie tells him before she walks away.
"Anything happens...foreboding." He muttered to himself as he walked inside, collecting Rose as he went.
Lydia's P.O.V
Lydia stood inside Negan's cabin that night, watching as the storm went on outside through the wind and flurries, her head on the still. "You okay?" Arya asks her, walking up behind her.
"I'm fine," Lydia says. "Just hoping this passes soon."
Looking outside, Arya asked hesitantly "Thinking about them?"
Not looking at her, Lydia answered "This isn't our, or their, first winter."
"I'm going to help with the food; You coming?"
"I'm pretty tired; I think I'll go to sleep." Lydia tells Arya, who nods.
"Alright," Arya says before she kisses her cheek. "See you in a little bit."
Lydia nods as Arya leaves the room, and she shuts the door. After a moment to make sure Arya was gone, she walks over to the window and grabs a bag under her bed, a coat, and her winter gear. She pulls a note out of the bag and sets it on the bed before she walks to the window. She paused, looking behind her at the door, but shook her head, slowly opening the window to a gust of wind that she was able to handle, and then climbed out.
Maggie's P.O.V
Maggie walked out of Ofelia's and Merle's room after making Hershel is sleeping, hearing the blaring wind outside. She was about to go to the room where Al was already fast asleep when she saw movement. She paused and glanced out a nearby window, seeing a dark figure walking through the storm Just visible from the fading sunlight. Unsure if this could be a Whisperer, she leaned in and saw the figure seemingly heading to the gate, going past it. Biting her lip, Maggie grabbed her belt and coat, putting them on. She grabs her gun off the table as she goes to the door. "Maggie." She turns around and looks at Daryl, who is standing by his door, clearly about to check in with his face full of confused worry. "What are you doing?"
"There's someone out there. Stay inside." Maggie says as she pulls the door open, sending a blast of cold air that almost knocked her off her feet, the blast causing Daryl to cover his face.
"Maggie!" Daryl yelled out after her as she shuts the door. Hearing him run back to his room to get Alicia and likely Althea up as well. She felt the cold air as it went across her entire body. She quickly goes down the stairs and moves through the Camp, the wind picking up and trying to dive her head down as it almost seemed like several of the trees were groaning from the wind as well as weight of snow.
Fuck she could barely see in front of her as she moved to the gate where she saw the figure leaning outside on a tree, rubbing their arms...she approached but a crunching of snow gave her away as the figure whipped their head to her with a gasp.
"Maggie?" Lydia says as Maggie crouches down beside her as she backed against the tree, looking both cornered and almost embarrassed.
"What are you doing, Lydia?" Maggie asks as she starts to shiver, trying to make this quick to get her back inside before Arya ran out after her as well.
"I need to protect them. I can't be here. I'm putting all of you in danger. I don't deserve to be here!" Lydia rambled until her voice broke. "They're all dead because of me."
"No, sweetie, they aren't. None of them would have blamed you. If you want to honor them, you have to stay because they died protecting the New World, and you're a part of that now, help us build it for them, help us honor them. If you leave, it is all for nothing. Their deaths would mean nothing. You have people here who care for you now, who would die to keep you safe." Maggie says as she holds out her hand to Lydia.
For a moment, Maggie wondered if Lydia would run but she looked behind them...sighing, likely knowing the others would find them soon enough, so grudgingly took it.
Standing, they turned back to the gate...but Lydia froze "Maggie..."
Looking up, Maggie saw a crunch of the gate as the storm wind picked up, tearing pieces of the wooden gate downwards mixed in with the snow from the last few weeks of snow. Yelling, Lydia was covered by Maggie as a particularly large chunk of snow landed on them.
Gasping, Maggie stood up heavily, the snow falling off them...saying "You ok?"
"Maggie!" Lydia shouts in horror.
She looked down...and saw a chunk of a branch piercing her shoulder.
Arya's P.O.V
Sitting with Rose, she was keeping the cooing baby occupied as Coco was looking out the window in awe, the cabin feeling chilly all of a sudden.
She saw Uncle Morgan glance around, expression suspicious "Something's wrong. Anyone else feel a wind?"
Then she saw Uncle Negan throw a piece of wood in the fire and looks around as well. "Yeah Morgan I feel the same thing, why the fuck is it so cold in here? Check the windows; make sure nothing is opened." Negan tells everybody, who nods as they split up. Arya goes to her room and opens the door softly to not disturb Lydia, but the cold wind hit her, and there was a note on the ground. "Lydia!" Arya shouts as she goes to the window and shuts it as Negan comes into the room as Arya grabs the note.
Your all in danger cause of me, if I'm gone you won't have to fight my Mother.
I'm sorry. Lydia
"Negan!" Kate shouts. Arya drops the note, and they run into the front room as Maggie and Lydia come in. Lydia half carrying her grandmother of her mother's side.
"What happened?" Rosita asks, running up to support Maggie at once.
"I'm so sorry." Lydia says tearfully as Rosita and Negan get Maggie on the couch.
Morgan reassured her gently "It's ok, no one's dead, it's fine."
"Kate, grab the first aid kid out of the bathroom." Negan tells Kate, who nods as Rosita looks at Maggie.
"I'm gonna have to take that out." Rosita tells her grimely.
"Morgan, you have a radio in here, right?" Maggie hissed through teeth at Morgan, who nods. "Radio Daryl, tell him I'm alright."
Morgan nods as Kate comes back out. "You ready?" Rosita asks Maggie, who nods as she pulls the wood out.
"FUCK!" Maggie yelled.
"Language Mrs Rhee." Negan said cheekily, pointing to the wide eyed Coco at the doorway.
"Fuck you too!"
Lydia's P.O.V
The next morning
Lydia sat on the porch playing with her knife, looking down in more guilt. She had already gotten an earful from Negan and Kate, and also one from Arya who grabbed her in a tight hug, begging her not to do something so 'moronic' ever again. She looked at the camp, seeing the snow across the ground with the clouds still in the air, a moment of respite from the night before.
She looked hearing the footsteps behind her and turned to see Daryl from around the cabin looking at her. Lydia bit her lip, looking down anticipating another lecture...but was surprised as Daryl said "Maggie told me what happened. You mind if I sit?"
Lydia shakes her head, and he sits down beside her, causing her to say "If you want to yell at me go ahead."
Daryl paused, scrunching his eyes "No kid, I'm not. I figured you already had your ass chewed out enough. Has Negan told how Maggie's Husband Glenn died?"
At that sudden question, Lydia looked at him bewildered, unsure where that came from but answered hesitantly "He killed him, beat him to death with a bat cause he thought he was a raider."
"There's more to that story, he only killed Glenn because I punched him. Glenn died because of me, and I have been honoring him for ten years, and I will continue to do it until the day I die." Daryl tells her, causing her eyes to widen. "What happened? It wasn't your fault, but you aren't gonna stop blaming yourself the guilt only eases slightly. So honor them, the same I do, help people, build the world that they wanted, and keep the people they love safe."
"How?"
"Once winter is over, we're gonna have to get supplies, a lot of it, if we hope to beat Alpha. You'll help with that," Daryl tells her.
Lydia looked down, causing Daryl to say softly "You don't want too?"
"She's my Mother Daryl."
Daryl stared at her...then nodded, patting her shoulder hesitantly, knowing she was still a bit wary with him but said softly "Just think about it."
With that he left and Lydia was staring after him and the beautiful surrounding snow.
A life?
Could she have one here truly?
Negan's P.O.V
Negan walks into the infirmary Cabin to see Al next to Maggie, putting a sheet over her and Arya putting down a bowl of food saying "There you go Grandma for the conquering Hero."
"Oh god, don't. I feel like shit." Maggie laughed then winced rubbing her shoulder.
"Can I talk to her?"
All eyes looked up at Negan in the doorway...Arya beaming while Althea scowled...not that he was surprised, Al's tolerance was always minimal at best.
"She needs to rest."
He looked at Al calmly "I just want to talk to her."
Looking ready to protest, Maggie said "Al...it's fine babe."
"...Alright. 5 minutes." Althea sighed, walking past Negan as Arya gave him a thumbs up and followed her, leaving the two alone.
He pulled a chair up and had it face the window, still a bit distant from her...asking quietly. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, just need to take it easy. Had worse." Maggie tells him.
"I imagine, always knew you were tough as nails...but...really, thank you." Negan says. "You saved Lydia, and I can't ever repay you for that."
Maggie shook her head "It's-"
"No it's not nothing." Negan looked out the window to see Arya dragging Lydia to have a snowball fight, a rare smile on the soft spoken girl's face "I...I can't fail her Maggie. I can't."
"We protect our own, right? Besides if I didn't Arya would have kicked my ass." Maggie let out a snort at that, causing him to briefly look at her then back outside.
"Tell them at the end of winter, and we'll be even." Maggie then said.
"...Fair." Negan quietly nodded "They'll have to know soon enough."
"Negan," Maggie says, making him look at her. "You didn't fail Laura," Maggie tells him, and he doesn't anything as he leaves the room.
Thanks for reading. I am hopefully back, I'm not making any promises, but hopefully, I should have a chapter up on Friday as well. I think we'll have one or two more chapters before we get back to the war. As always, suggestions, ideas, and feedback are welcomed. Until next time.