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Mariiiiiie001- That's so sweet to hear, thank you!

Carl and I stash Siddiq in the sewer tunnels under Alexandria. It's not exactly nice down there — stinks of shit and feels like the place colours go to die — but it's only until Rick gets back and Carl can explain. We smuggle Siddiq down some water and a cot, plus the last of the brownies I made when he sheepishly asks if we have any more. I even steal some of Michonne's incense candles that manage to help the smell and colour problem.

I don't know if it's the shower and Carl's rosemary shampoo, or if it's the fact we fought and made up, or even that we saved a guy today, but I tell Carl that I really need an hour of his time before we do anything else today. And I laugh when he tugs me into the bathroom with him instead of going to his bedroom, turning the shower back on and pulling me in with him where the steam fills the room and the rosemary get sweeter. When we're done, I make him put on a canvas shirt that I like and tell him we should have a family day.

"A family day?"

"You know," I say, smiling as we make our way to the pantry. "You, me, Judith, Michonne, Rosita, your dad, if he gets back before we go to Sanctuary for the last push. We can have a picnic and just be for a little bit."

"Something we've got to do first," Carl tells me, taking my hand in his as we walk.

We bring real food to Siddiq, and Carl gets us to sit with him while we eat ravioli and talk to him like everything's normal and we're not in a cold dark sewer. And the thing is, after a while, we're not. That's always been Carl's thing. He's always the one to talk and love and really just care. Care like it matters more than anyone else can see. He makes it matter because he's stubborn, and he's him, and it matters to him. I just don't think he's been able to be him because of this war. Maybe that's why he hates it so much. Because Lori knew that he was smart and strong and so immensely brave. Brave enough to know what's right. Strong enough to not let the rest spoil him. That's how Carl Grimes turns this sewer warm and sunny as the three of us sit and talk about our parents, the now, and everything that came in between.

Carl hands Siddiq a Big-Kat at some point.

"Are you sure you guys can spare all this food?"

Carl smiles. "We always share."

So Siddiq breaks it into three and hands each of us a piece, and as I eat it, I realise Carl was right — his dad was definitely wrong.

Later, when we still can't find Rosita and Michonne, we ask Tobin, and he hands us a note written in tidy handwriting.

'I had to see it for myself.

I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye first.

Will be back soon.

Michonne.'

Carl and I spend the last of the sunlight with Judith. He sits on a rocking chair with her while I pick at my guitar strings, perched on the porch railings with my back to one of the columns. Carl asks me to sing something, and I decide it's one of those days when I can.

"We must blend into the choir, sing ecstatic with the whole.

Must memorize nine numbers and deny we have a soul.

And in this endless race for property and privilege to be won...

We must run, we must run, we must run.

We must hang up in the belfry where the bats and moonlight laugh.

We must stare into a crystal ball and only see the past.

And into the caverns of tomorrow with just our flashlights and our love...

We must plunge, we must plunge, we must plunge.

Oh, my morning's coming back.

The whole world's waking up.

Oh, the city bus is swimming past.

I'm happy just because... I found out I am really no one."

I tell him the rest of the song is too sad for today, with the sun setting as fast as it is. Carl and Judith decide to dip their hands in paint and put their handprints on the warm deck. Carl takes a polaroid of them together, dragging me into the second one with them. We even plant an apple tree by the main gate, waving to Michonne when she drives in safe. Rosita pulls up twenty minutes later with a truck full of supplies. Tara and Daryl show up not long after that.

Everyone's getting ready to end the war now. Carl and Michonne go off to find Barbara, so they can hand over Judith.

I catch up with Rosita and her truck. Tara and her are unloading smoke grenades and airhorns from the back.

"Where'd you get all this?" I ask Rosita, bumping my fist against Tara's.

"Savior warehouse. They were trying to rig some truck with a load of speakers to lure the walkers away from Sanctuary," she tells me, shoving a crate into my arms. "Michonne and I stopped them."

Mikey turns up just as Rosita stacks every other crate in Tara's arms until I can't see her face behind the tower; only listen to her struggling with the weight. Then Rosita turns and puts the one I was holding on there, too.

"I can help," Mikey offers.

"Nah," Rosita says, "she's got it."

I realise she's pissed at Tara for something, but I decide to leave it be.

"You coming with us to the Sanctuary?" I ask Mikey.

He's on the verge of answering.

CLANK—

CLANK—

CLANK—

It comes from the gate.

The sounds of metal vibrating as something knocks against it.

Tara drops the boxes.

The piercing feedback of a speaker system screeches outside the walls.

"YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHY THE HELL YOUR LOOKOUTS DIDN'T SOUND THE ALARM. SEE, WE ARE POLITE. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY'RE GONNA WAKE UP FROM THAT KINDA SHOT, BUT THEY SHOULD WAKE UP."

Negan's voice is booming; projected louder than anything else on planet earth. I cover my ear, looking around for Carl, spotting him with Michonne near the sewer entrance.

"SO LET'S JUST CUT THROUGH THE COW SHIT— YOU LOSE. IT'S FUCKING OVER."

Carl turns his head to look at us, his eye wide and piercing in the looming darkness. We all watch him back. Daryl, Scott, Tobin, Bruce, and Minnie are here now. Everyone is here, pinned in and trapped by the wolf.

"SO YOU'RE GONNA LINE UP IN FRONT OF YOUR LITTLE HOUSES, AND YOU'RE GONNA WORK UP SOME APOLOGIES, AND THEN THE PERSON WITH THE LAMEST ONE IS GONNA GET KILLED. THEN I KILL RICK IN FRONT OF EVERYONE, AND WE MOVE ON. YOU HAVE THREE— COUNT 'EM —THREE MINUTES TO OPEN THIS GATE, OR WE START BOMBING THE SHIT OUT OF YOU FUCKS!"

Then Negan starts to whistle into his microphone. It's hissy and scratchy and terrifying.

Carl and Michonne run to us. Everyone looks lost, but Carl's already moving, stuffing smoke grenades from the boxes Tara dropped into a satchel lying on the passenger seat.

"They got out," Michonne whispers, fear in her breath.

Barbara runs out of a house holding Judith.

"You need to make it look like we're escaping out the back," Carl barks at everyone when they don't stop looking at the gate. "Get to the woods, halfway to the quarry, and cut the lights. Get enough of a lead on them, hit them, and get away on foot. The rest of us will go to the sewers until the Saviors leave."

"Why the sewers?" Daryl asks.

"If they've got bombs, then we need to be underground. They'll burn the houses."

"What about Alexandria?" Mikey stutters.

Carl shakes his head at him.

"We just need to get the guns and everyone else here," Carl shouts. "Minnie, you get everyone into the sewers. Once Rosita's team deals with the Saviors that chase them, they get back here and get to the sewers from the outside entrance."

"TWO MINUTES, PEOPLE! DIG DEEP. I WANT THESE APOLOGIES TO BE MOTHERFUCKING MEMORABLE! BONUS POINTS FOR CREATIVITY. WORK UP A POEM, SING A SONG. I LOVE THAT SHIT!"

"Get going," Carl tells everyone. He turns to Tobin, Scott, and Bruce. "There's gonna be people in the infirmary. They're gonna need your help."

The whistling continues.

"Look, we got guns," Tara tells Carl. "We can fight them."

"We will, but not now," Rosita tells her. "Carl's right."

I nod to her and Carl, unable to find a world to utter with that whistling in my ears.

"Carl," Michonne stutters, looking as tearful as Mikey is, "we can't just let them have this place."

"We can. All we need to do is survive tonight," Carl hisses. "This is my show. You said it. This is my plan, and you're gonna do it. You're all gonna do it. So let's go!"

Everyone rushes off to their posts, and Carl starts running towards the main gate.

I catch his arm.

"Not happening!" I growl. "We have to get to the sewer."

"I'll buy us some time," Carl hisses, pulling free. "Negan won't kill me... he likes me."

"I'll come, too!"

"No," Carl yells. "Make sure Judith is safe!"

I purse my lips and nod, teeth gritted tightly and fists clenched until they go white.

"I'll go with you," Mikey squeaks from behind me. "I'll go with Carl."

"No—"

"This is my home, too! I'm gonna make sure you come back."

Carl listens to the whistling. Negan starts to count down from thirty. He nods.

I hug them both, shouting in their faces that they need to come back to me. Then I run. I make it to the sewer grate in time to see Michonne helping Barbara down, Judith held tightly in her arms.

I suddenly remember that Downy Beardy is still in his paddock. I try running back, but Minnie catches my wrist between her fingers.

"The horse!" I pant, all my breaths used up on the way here.

"Already opened his pen," Minnie tells me. "We can't do much more for him. If he makes it out, he makes it out."

-The Walls-

"OKIE DOKIE," Negan bellows through the speaker system. "BROUGHT THIS ON YOURSELF, RICK! SEE, I WAS WILLING TO WORK WITH YOU. ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS FOLLOW A FEW VERY FUCKING SIMPLE RULES. NOW— WELL, NOW I SEE THAT YOU'VE GOT TO GO. SCORCHED EARTH, YOU FUCKING DICK!"

"He's not home."

Carl is standing on top of the wall by the gate. His arms are hanging by his side and his eye is on Negan. The army of Saviors behind him snap their guns up to Carl.

"OH-HO-HOLY SHIT! EVERYBODY HOLD YOUR FIRE, IT'S CARL!" Negan stomps his foot and grins up at him, moving the mic away from his mouth. "Look at you. Answering the door like a big boy! I am so proud. Daddy's not home, huh? Well, I guess he's gonna get back to a big ol' smoky surprise."

Carl glares down at him. "There's families in here. Kids. My little sister."

"Well, that shit just breaks my heart," Negan says in monotone. "There's kids at the Sanctuary. You must've seen 'em. Even had a little baby at one of the outposts. I wonder what happened to her. None of this shit's fair, kid. Hell, you know that. You had to kill your own mom. That is screwed up. Ergo, we need someone in charge who's willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that shit doesn't happen." Negan takes a few steps back into his horde of armed Saviors, spinning on the spot and holding his arms up with Lucille in hand. "Oh, wait. That's me."

Carl glances to the bottom of the watchtower where Mikey's waiting for him.

"Bad stuff does happen, but we can figure this out," Carl says to Negan. "We can stop this!"

"Oh, now you want to talk?" Negan barks, pissed off at all of this. "See, your dad had it that I died, no matter what. He gave my people a choice. Not me. Now we're gonna need a new understanding. Apologies, punishme—"

"Wait!" Mikey yells, scrambling his way up to the top of the ladder and earning a croaky laugh from Negan's surprise.

"Kid!" Negan grins. "Come to get a better view of the fireworks? Good. We've still got unfinished business after you knocked me on my ass last time I was standing here."

"Go," Mikey whispers to Carl with doe-eyes, rounded with tears.

Carl stares at him, speechless and shaking his head.

"Please, just go find your sister and Rhys," Mikey says.

"I'm not leaving—"

"My whole family died for this place. Let me try and save it."

"You two wanna cut me in on the conversation?!" Negan barks up, twisting his face into an impatient frown.

Carl looks between the two before nodding at Mikey and stepping back towards the ladder. Mikey catches his arm.

"Tell Rhys that I did it," Mikey says with a smile, a wide and wonderfully brilliant smile. "Tell him I found a way to make the pain useful."

When Carl's gone, Mikey looks down at Negan, meeting his steely gaze.

Negan stands with his legs together and arms by his side. He's about to speak, but Mikey finds the courage first.

"You'll lose!" Mikey yells.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

A few Saviors chuckle, but Negan's eyes stay narrow like he's interested in all this now.

"You try and break down that gate, and you'll lose. We've got enough firepower to wipe you out."

Negan shakes his head. "I don't think that's true," he hums.

"We can make a deal," Mikey says, blinking as he looks back at his home.

"Oh, yeah?" Negan smirks. "Like your weasel brother tried to do?"

"No," Mikey says, shaking his head. "Spencer never could have made a deal with you. That's how it was. How it went. But we can. Right now."

"Go on..." Negan twirls Lucille as he speaks. "I'll bite."

Mikey swallows, glancing back again, seeing a few people still racing towards the sewers. He knows that he can't make a deal. He knows that it won't work. That this has to end in fire and blood.

But he has to buy time.

That's all that matters now.

No matter what.

"Put down your guns!" Mikey yells. "Turn back and go home. If we fight, people will die on both sides. Parents... siblings... kids. If we stop right now. If we just say no. We can end it. You say you want to save people, Negan. Now's your chance."

"Oh, Mikey..."

Negan laughs, tucking Lucille under his leather arm to clap his gloved hands.

"Mikey-Mikey-Mikey-boy... you're wrong. This..."

Negan clasps Lucille again and holds his arms out wide.

"...is the only way."

When Mikey doesn't speak, Negan's face twists and turns again, from a frown to a grin and back to a frown.

"See, I am saving you all by doing this. I'm saving you right now. You were there on career day... cryin' and snottin' as I beat the holy fucking shit out of the guy beside you. I saved you back then... because, you see, I was never gonna kill you, even if you weren't a kid. Because the pussies like you? The ones that cry and beg. They grow up into the people that get it... the ones that listen and keep the wheel spinning."

Negan points up at Mikey with his bat.

"I saved you by killing your friends, because it taught you a hard-learned lesson."

Negan slings Lucille onto his shoulder and grins.

"I'm the guy."

He nods to the Saviors beside him, armed with grenade launchers aimed at the sky.

"And now, Mikey. I'm gonna blow this sleepy burg to high-fucking-heaven. I'm gonna do it because you all need reminding who the fuck I am. You all need reminding who the guy is. I may look like the big bad wolf right now... but I'm saving you all with each huff and fucking puff I blow."

Mikey grinds his teeth, clenching his fists with palms full of sweat. "You're a liar! You tell yourself you're saving people, but you're not. You kill because you want to rule. That's all you are. You're not a savior... you're just a conman that enjoys crushing heads and killing people."

Negan's small smirk turns sour, contorting into a frown and then further to a scowl.

"You wanna die right now, Mikey?"

"No, I don't." Mikey can't stop his voice from trembling, but he fights through it all the same. "But I will. Because you can't save me. And when the time comes, you won't be able to save yourself either."

Negan's face falls all the way down, and Mikey pushes on the wound he's torn open.

"Was this the plan, Negan? Was it supposed to be this way? Or do you actually believe all the lies you're selling? Is this who you wanted to be?"

Then Negan's radio clicks, a Savior's voice coming out of the speaker.

"Got a convoy rolling out the back. We'll get them!"

Mikey sighs, his shoulders dropping from his ears and his heart almost slowing to a final beat.

"I did it," he whispers to himself, finding a small smile in the fear.

Negan's spinning on the spot, reeling and swinging his bat up at the walls.

"SON OF A BITCH, MIKEY! WAS THAT JUST A PLAY?"

Mikey stumbles back, away from the wall, tripping as he tries to get back to the ladder.

But he hears Negan's wrath.

"BOMBS AWAY!"

Fire descends from the sky, and flames consume the watchtower just as Mikey launches himself off of it. He collides against the hardened earth and rolls desperately through the grass when he sees his arm is on fire, his flesh sizzled and blackened as he forces himself to stand up. His gaze lifts to see Alexandria topple and burn before him, glistening back at him in his wet brown eyes. The solar panels explode from a hale of showering grenades. The lake rumbles and implodes as bombs crack its surface. Houses blaze under licking flames. The church spire crumbles under its weight and falls into itself.

Mikey tries to push on towards the sewer, leaning against one of the armoured cars to catch his breath as he hears the gate get torn down by trucks behind him. Then he hears a window in the car he's leaning against shatter, something small and metal landing on the seat. Mikey pushes away, but the grenade pin is pulled and the car bursts. He screams as he feels the heat kiss his skin. The fire burns against his chest. The explosion throws Mikey across the street and into oblivion.

We must take all of the medicines too expensive now to sell

Set fire to the preacher who is promising us hell

And in the ear of every anarchist that sleeps but doesn't dream

We must sing, we must sing, we must sing

And it'll go like this:

While my mother waters plants

My father loads his gun

He says death will give us back to God

Just like the setting sun

Is returned to the lonesome ocean.

A/N

Song was At the Bottom of Everything by Bright Eyes.