Chapter 94: After

CPOV

~Many Years Ago~

Going over to Kat's room, I went to knock but when I knocked a few times and got no response, I opened the door and saw her window was open. She's outside on the roof? Why? "Kat?" I called to her as I began climbing out.

Seeing her head whip to look over at me, her eyes were a little wide as I did my best to climb over her window ledge to get to the roof of our small porch. "What are you doing out here?" I asked her.

Catching my foot a little, I held on a little tighter to the ledge. "Careful," Kat warned me. "You're going to trip and fall," Kat told me of what could happen if I wasn't careful.

"I'll be careful," I promised her as I tried to regain my balance as I finally stood on the roof with her being sat on it. "But if I fall, I have my big sister here to save me," I grinned from ear to ear. She always saves me. Always.

There hadn't been a time I didn't remember Kat looking out for me, protecting me, or saving me from a fall. "I'm your big sister, not a superhero," Kat spoke the truth. I know she doesn't have super powers.

Moving to sit beside her, her eyes were glued to the distance before us. The skies were clear, the stars bright and the moon was full. "You're a superhero to me," I said, my eyes glued to her face as she gazed up.

Something's up with her. I can tell. "Thanks, buddy," Kat told me with a small smile, her arm bumping into mine gently.

Looking at her a little more closely, I wondered if she'd been crying again. "Are you sad again?" I asked her. Inspecting her mouth, I didn't see any trace of chocolate pudding on her face. "I don't see any chocolate pudding," I stated, as this was what she normally brought up with her when she was feeling upset.

Kat let out a small, long sigh. "I'm just, thinking..." Kat softly answered me.

My eyebrows automatically furrowed at how vague she was being. "What about?" I questioned what she was so deep in thought about, that she wanted to be on the roof, gazing at the stars, alone.

"Life, everything," Kat said with a small shrug. "You'll understand when you're older," Kat promised me as her head turned so she could look down at me.

Looking ahead, I then slowly turned my head to look at the side of her face once more. "Well, you want to try explaining it to me?" I asked her if this was possible for her to do.

Stretching her feet out to lay her legs down on the roof, her hands came to clasp together on her lap. "I'm thinking about things like, friends, like family, about what can change in life so quickly, that you don't realise it's happening right in front of your very eyes," Kat started to tell me.

Looking up at the sky, I tried to picture everything she said and it seemed like another world to me. "Like me when I first met you," Kat said, making my head slowly turn to meet her gaze.

Her eyes were soft but there was an amused glimmer in them, like it was a fond memory of hers. "I hated you when I first laid eyes on you," Kat revealed to me. Oh...

"Why is that?" my small voice asked her why she'd felt that way when she first met me.

Kat smiled at the memory. "I hated you, because I thought you were stealing all of our mom and dad's love away from me," Kat explained what the younger version of herself thought. "All their attention, it was focused on you more than it was on me," Kat explained why she had felt that way.

Leaning in a little closer to me, Kat kept her voice as low as she possibly could. "Mom and dad never told you but...I ran away," Kat revealed to me. No way! She did?! That's kind of awesome.

"You did?" the excitement was obvious in my tone. I always see kids run away in movies and it seems so awesome sometimes.

Kat made a small grimace of a face. "Yeah, don't recommend it, ever by the way," Kat recommended I don't try this in future. "But when I got back...when I took a good, long, hard look at your face, I slowly realised something," Kat lowered her head, her eyes gazing at her hands that were clasped together.

"Love, isn't reserved or can be stolen. It's shared, it multiplies when we let someone new in," Kat told me what she'd learnt. "And the longer I looked at your little face, the more love I felt for you," Kat said while her eyes slowly rose to meet mine with a sweet smile on her face.

My sister had let out a small little laugh. "So small, so innocent...I knew that, it was my job to protect you, to love you and I promised myself, I was going to do everything I could to be the best big sister that I could be," Kat began letting me hear everything that went through her mind in that moment.

The more I stared at her, the more I admired my sister for the loving girl I knew her to be. "Changes happen, all the time, Carl...and we learn to live with it because it happens, and we have no control over it sometimes," Kat's words slowly got stuck in my head. "We grow with it. And most times, we accept it, just like I, accepted you," Kat's eyes slowly met mine again as she smiled.

After a few moments of silence, our eyes went to the stars and the moon high above us in the distance. Hearing the sounds of a small wrapper, Kat tugged on the paper and set free the chocolate snack that was our favourite to eat.

My eyes widened when I realised what it was. "Is that the last Big Cat?" I asked her, Kat stayed very still. "I was looking for that," I tried not to whine, but I did.

Kat snapped the Big Cat in half and offered me one piece of the half. "Here," Kat said as she offered me the piece.

Taking it from her fingertips, I looked at it then back to her. "Thanks," I appreciated her for sharing the last one with me. Stuffing it into my mouth, Kat had tossed her half into hers and both of us chewed the snack as quietly as we could.

It was like neither of us wanted to break the silence as our lives stood still there and then. Enjoying the silence as we gazed at what seemed infinite. "Kat?" I called to my sister as her words weighed heavily on my mind.

When Kat met my gaze, she held it calmly. "You're the best big sister in the whole wide world," I told her what I thought, what I felt.

A content smile appeared on Kat's lips as she slid her arm around my shoulders to pull me closer. "And you're the best baby brother in the whole wide world," Kat said back to me. My head resting against her, as her head laid over mine, our eyes glued to the stars above us. This is perfect.

PRESENT DAY...RPOV

Sat in my cell, I saw a glimpse of a shadow. Sitting up, I had hope that it was Jadis, coming to let me out, so we could negotiate but when I saw the figure was three people, stood side by side, I wondered what was happening.

To my surprise, when I saw Kat, with two of Jadis's people at either side of her, as they guided her past me, I felt my heart pounding. "Hey!" I yelled as I banged on the wall, sitting on my knees as I looked out to the world.

"Hey!" I yelled again, banging harder on the metal doors keeping my locked as I felt the sweat build more as the sight of my daughter in their grasp frightened me more. "Where are you taking her?!" I shouted with anger and fear hidden in the deepest background of my vocal emotions.

The banging of my fist against the metal doors to catch their attention didn't stop. When Kat was out of my sight, it didn't stop me from banging against the door with all my might. Someone has got to listen to me. To answer my questions.

That was the perfect moment that my mind, decided to come up with the worst scenarios. Could they have another Winston monster lying around here? Or are they shipping her back to Negan?

Everything bad that could happen, ran in circles in my mind as I pictured my pregnant daughter, in the same situation I had been when I first met the Scavengers. "I swear, if you hurt her..." I felt my voice break a little. "I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you..." I cried a little at the thought of losing my pregnant daughter.

She's pregnant for Christ sake. Please...don't hurt her. Trying to push the thoughts out of my head, was harder than I thought as I slowly sank to sit down and felt my breath shake. This wasn't part of the plan...she's supposed to be in Alexandria, not here.

KPOV

Guided past what I could only imagine was my father's cell, I knew I couldn't fight them, couldn't fight back on my own. Hold on. I had to remind myself that fighting two against just me, was a dangerous thing and to fight them with my dad locked away, wasn't a smart move.

Figure a way out. Survive by any means and help him out. That's the plan. Hearing my dad's distinct voice calling to me, I'd let him call for answers and as my footsteps lead me further away from his persistent banging and screaming, two members of the Scavengers opened another crate.

Leading me to step into it, one scavenger tied my wrists together, before leaving me alone. I'd watched as the doors closed and as I turned to face them, but the light that shone on my face, slowly became darkness.

The only light, was from a hole, possibly from bullets that had pierced the metal. I need to find a way out, and a way to get out of these ropes...I need to help dad. I need to get us out of here alive.

As I had looked around, there was no way out and this made me let out a sigh. I could cut the rope with the hole but...it'll cause cuts on my wrists and there would be no way out regardless. This, is when I knew I had to stay put. And wait. And hope.

CPOV

Going to check up on Tobin, on any news of Negan, of my dad and Kat, I knew they must not have been back yet, as there was no news of them. But there was also no sign of Michonne anywhere.

Standing beside Tobin, he was armed and ready. I was armed and ready, but I was focused on the hopes of getting to talk to my dad, to Kat and Michonne before the bite got any worse.

"If they're not back soon, we'll meet them there. Hopefully, they'll be with them," Tobin told me, referring to Kat and dad's quest to convince the Scavengers to join us. Although, I knew Kat doubted the Scavengers were going to listen to our dad.

Turning my head to look at Tobin, what didn't make sense was where Michonne could have gone. "What about Michonne?" I asked him.

Digging into his pocket, Tobin then handed me a letter and I carefully took it from him. Flipping it to look down at the words on the pages, I saw what it said. Her note said: I had to see it for myself. I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye first. Will be back soon. Michonne.

Feeling my breath slowly leave me, I knew where she went. She went to the Sanctuary. Without me. But I knew, I wasn't going to be of much use there. Not with the state I was in. Looking up, I decided to waste no more time as I left Tobin to his look out duty. I just hope I can say goodbye to her in time...

RPOV

Sat in silence, with nothing but my thoughts, I tried to keep calm but the more I thought, the more my heart was pounding. Is Kat okay? What did they do to her? Have they got another Winslow that Kat had to fight? Is she alive? My mind was running in circles.

All of which, feared for my daughter and grandchild's safety. As footsteps approached, I rubbed the sweat off my forehead and looked to through the hole. Are they bringing me Kat's corpse? Or her walker body? The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

Hearing the lock click before the doors opened, I pushed myself onto my feet and tried to block out the bright light before I saw Jadis and her people surrounding me. The white light got clearer but I was still as puzzled as I was when the brightness was hard to adjust to.

Brion was sat in a chair, a pencil and paper in his hands as he would glance at me and sketch me, I assumed. Jadis stood beside him, with a camera in her hand. Her men that held the doors open looked at me perplexed but then back to their leaders as they stared at me.

"Where is she?" I began to speak. "The girl you took in," I was specific in who I felt my heart pounding for. Where did they take my daughter? "Where is she?" I asked them but Jadis wasn't answering any of my questions.

Jadis just tilted her head a little at me. "Concern?" Jadis asked me. I said nothing, as I just stared at her and then to those around me. Of course I'm concerned! That's my daughter. "No more," Jadis ordered softly with a small shake of her head.

Squinting at her, I shuffled my feet a little as I shifted my weight and felt worry in my veins. "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked her, confused as to why I couldn't be concerned over my own daughter anymore.

She didn't kill her did she? Or did she ship her off to Negan? Deciding to ignore the worry, as Jadis and the others ignored me, I thought it best to start speaking. "It's not too late for you. My offer still stands," I told her. "You can join us...or you can die," this was my offer to her.

Suddenly, a flash bulb pops as it blinds me, Jadis had taken a photograph of me as she tossed something that covered the bulb off and replaced it with a new one. "Turn," Jadis ordered as I did as she ordered and then turned back to face her.

Every picture she took, left me wondering what she was going to do with them. Is she going to take them back to Negan? Keep them? Nothing makes sense. Just as he doors were closing on me, Brion rose his hand and then Jadis did the same, stopping her men from shutting the doors.

When Brion was done sketching me, he folded the card over the drawings he did, signalling that he was finished. "Why? Why the pictures?" I asked her, curious to know why she was taking photographs of me.

"Sculpt you, after," Jadis said dully.

Sculpt me? "After what?" I wondered what she'd meant by this as the doors began closing up on me.

But Jadis wasn't giving anything away. "After," Jadis responded before the doors clattered shut and once again, I was alone and in the dark. She isn't going to shove me into a walker version of my daughter, is she?

DWIGHT'S POV

Hearing a knock on my door, I went to answer it and found that it had been none other than Eugene on the opposite side of the door. When he walked into my room, he walked in without a word, his back to me as he went to the chess board.

"I'm well-aware you're the fifth columner. Green duffel, red paint, workers' guns," Eugene confronted me before he slowly turned to face me. "Doesn't require Turing-grade decryption to grok the truth that you're the traitor creeping and colluding with A.H.K," the more Eugene talked, the more I wanted him to shut up.

It's like him and Negan love the sounds of their own voices. "It's an acronym I've concocted...Alexandria, Hilltop, Kingdom. I considered going with K.A.H, but it remains a hair too onomatopoeic," Eugene started blabbering on about something of no interest to me.

Eugene was looking at me with confidence in his speculation. "I've been charged by no less than Negan himself with...cracking the very calamity you more than likely had a heavy hand in creating," Eugene assumed correctly it was me.

"So I need you to cease and desist all betrayals and backstabbery, fronting and Judas-ness A.S.A.P. In exchange, I offer to keep what I know from Negan and the others," Eugene politely and softly ordered for me to stop meddling with things around here by threatening me.

He thinks he can come into my room and threaten me? He's still that weak weasel from the night of the round up. Approaching him slow, I took him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him back before shoving him down onto a chair.

Crouching down in front of him, I kept my eyes on his. "The Saviors are finished," I was confident in this as I spoke softly to Eugene, needing him to hear this. "Negan's finished. And this place...what it's been...that's all over," I knew this for a fact.

"Food and water's runnin' low, workers are angry, the Saviors, they're gettin' scared. And this place is gonna fall, and all you have to do to be on the winning side is to stand down. All you have to do is nothing," this was the plan we'd been trying to get to happen since the beginning.

If we get the workers to turn against them, then we can eventually win. "Wait. Let it play out," I encouraged Eugene to do this. "Can you do that?" I asked him but Eugene looked terrified.

It's like he can't decide. "You've seen what happens here, heard the screams..." I said before I got up to lean in close to Eugene's face. "Smelled the burning skin," I listed the horrible things that happened behind these walls. All things poor Sherry and Kat had to witness.

Staring into his eyes, Eugene looked more afraid the closer I got. "You don't got blood on your hands yet, but that's comin'. Once you do those things, you become those things, and there's no goin' back. No forgettin' it," I warned him of what could happen the longer Negan was in power over him.

"What cranks my shaft is bein' safe," Eugene said as his eyes stared up at me but his eyebrows were furrowed weirdly. "And here...me bein' safe means a whole lot of other people are safe. I think about that a great deal," Eugene told me.

Pushing on the chair slowly, Eugene got to his feet and I slowly backed away so he could stand. "Yes, I'm Negan..." Eugene couldn't look at me first but when he did, he nodded his head. "And it ain't perfect, but we are Saviors. We save," Eugene spoke like he knew what he was talking about.

These people don't save. They slave. Pushing past me slowly, I watched as he went for my door but stopped to look at me from over his shoulder. "Like I said...your cloak-and-dagger's on the Q.T. All I ask is that you do nothin' that results in harm to anyone inside these walls, and it'll stay that way," Eugene warned me once more, giving me the only condition he tried to get me to follow.

No one is safe here. These people aren't saving anybody. And him on their side, doesn't help anyone either. When Eugene walked out the door, I stared on and tried to come up with something, with anything.

MPOV

Using the scope, Daryl was gazing over to what I could imagine to be the Sanctuary, getting a good look so he could figure out some kind of plan to 'end' it. "Our people are gonna be at the Sanctuary soon, asking for their surrender," Tara informed us what was the plan. "We're almost there," Tara sounded confident that this was almost over.

Daryl lowered the sniper scope but his posture told me he was completely calm with the plan they had laid out. If Kat knew, she'd be furious with him. "That's why we do it," Daryl said, once his close up vision of the Sanctuary was now limited to the same view we all had. "We make it happen," Daryl said with confidence.

This doesn't feel right to me. "So we cover you with crossfire from the upper windows, you crash the truck into the walkers and through to the building," I said to Daryl as I went over the plan again.

"Yep, crack it open, Savior buffet," Tara commented as she spoke for Daryl's plan.

Rosita looked how I felt. Maybe we should wait but...if this needs to get done, I need to put my faith in Daryl. "You know the workers will make it away, up the stairs?" Rosita went through this piece again with them.

"They're on the other side of the building. They should make it," Daryl had faith in this, or at the very least, had hope for this.

As Rosita leaned against the truck, something told all of us she was completely against the idea. "You sure?" Rosita needed to be certain there was nothing that could put innocent lives at risk. Lives like Kat's...forced to be there so to help the ones they loved.

Daryl looked a little stumped by this question. "After we do this, their only choice is to give up," Daryl was trying to make us see what he saw. Maybe they give up, but maybe this is the wrong move. Especially without Rick or Kat to give the go ahead.

The whole thing in itself, didn't feel right to me but I tried to keep pushing through it because it was what needed to be done. "It's risky. They could see the truck comin'," I voiced my concern about the whole situation.

"There weren't any more weapons at the Saviors' warehouse, right?" Tara began to ask us what happened back in the warehouse, asking us to repeat what we'd tried to prevent. "No more rockets for the RPG's," Tara was pointing out that everything that could of stopped us, was gone now.

But all the more Tara talked, the more I worried for where her head was really at. "We work with what we got," Tara spoke with confidence that this was it. That this was all we had for us to get through this together. To make it happen.

"You got me," a voice had pulled our attention towards it. A male voice, I knew well enough. Morgan. "Other snipers, too. Saviors see you comin', we got you covered, whatever it takes," Morgan reassured us that we had a team for back-up.

Morgan had changed time and time again through the different moments we'd met once more. Back in Atlanta, then when he got to Alexandria and now, this was a Morgan that was on the border of the old Morgan and the new one I'd met in Alexandria.

In truth, Morgan looked lost as Daryl and Tara turned their bodies to give Morgan space, enough so that we could see him and talk to him. "I want it done. I want them done," Morgan spoke in relation to the Saviors.

Morgan mostly glanced between myself and Daryl, who had kept his eyes on Morgan when he'd spoken. "Good," Daryl was pleased of the help Morgan and the other snipers were offering them. "So, we doin' this or what?" Daryl asked as he turned to face us.

Mostly, Daryl was looking at Rosita, who appeared to be the least eager to be involved in his plan. "W-Why don't we just wait it out like we planned?" Rosita asked him. A few words were jumbled up with a small scoff that left Rosita.

"Michonne's right," Rosita agreed with me, making me glance over at Daryl. Maybe we should wait. "What you're talking about is risky. Things could go bad," Rosita warned them.

This isn't how Rick planned but Rick isn't here right now and I should have gone with him, with Kat. "The truck with the speakers almost took all those walkers away," Tara spoke softly but with no worry about this plan going bad either.

It was almost as though neither her or Daryl cared for the innocent lives inside the Sanctuary. The families, the elderly, the workers who just did what they thought was the only way they could survive. "It almost did go bad. Something else could," Tara warned us, but mostly Rosita.

"Even if it don't, we don't got the Kingdom fighters no more," Daryl argued, since the only ones who survived were Carol, Ezekiel and Jerry after their fight at the outpost they agreed to take down.

Maybe Daryl's right. "I mean, if the Saviors want to put up a fight, we don't got the numbers to make 'em surrender," Daryl pointed out, making my heart sink a little more. We can't let that happen.

"That's why Rick's talking to the Scavengers," Rosita said, connecting the dots together.

Letting out a soft sigh, my hands on my hips subconsciously, I knew Kat had gone to help her father but she didn't trust the Scavengers with him. "And why Kat's gone to help him," I spoke up, feeling a little worried for two of the most important people in my life stuck with an ally turned foe.

Tara looked at us incredulously, like she didn't want to believe that Rick and Kat were capable of rallying them to our side. "You got shot. They lied to us," Tara pointed out all the things that happened. But it also got us Kat back.

My eyes went to glance to Daryl, knowing that this whole mix up, saved us Kat, who was close to the explosion, had the Scavengers not double crossed us. "You-You believe 'em now?" Tara questioned if we could trust the Scavengers after everything that happened.

"I believe in Rick and Kat Grimes," Rosita announced boldly, having faith in two of our most capable leaders. The leader and his successor.

Kat had been working behind the scenes, far earlier than me and Rick trying to save her. She's been the first one planning for this fight. "I could've done something, sooner, to end this," Tara said as she approached Rosita.

Glancing to Daryl, I was beginning to wonder if he had enough faith in Kat and Rick to get the numbers we needed to fight, in case the Saviors did escape. Kat is his girlfriend, the mother of his unborn child and Rick, he's his family. I have faith in them, but does he?

Tara appeared to be both sad and disappointed in Rosita for not being up to this. "I knew about those weapons at Oceanside, and I waited. I didn't do shit about it," Tara was trying to put these two situations in a similar level.

And Oceanside aren't with us either...maybe this is the only way of protecting our people. "With or without you, I'm not letting that happen again," Tara told Rosita that sitting back, letting things work out for themselves, wasn't going to be her approach anymore.

Rosita glanced to both Tara and Daryl. "Then it's without me," Rosita said, nodding. "I'm out," Rosita declared before she pushed herself off the truck and began walking away from them.

Tara moved further away from Rosita, crossing her arms. The brief look Michonne gave me and Morgan wasn't as cold as the one she gave Daryl and Tara. "We got some cars parked near the east-side lookout. You can take one and go home," Morgan offered Rosita the whereabouts of where she could find a vehicle to get back home.

Rosita took a moment to process it all, all before she slowly turned back around and faced me. "You staying?" Rostia asked, approaching me and stopping in front of me. "You good with all this?" Rosita questioned how I stood with all this.

Honestly, I want to wait for Rick but I can't risk everything we worked for being wasted, if the Saviors find a way out of this mess. "I helped get this started. Got to see it through," I tried to explain my view on this plan.

I could hardly look to her once I admitted this. It doesn't feel right. "You think it's easier to come out here and risk than to stay back there and wait," Rosita wondered, it wasn't a question but it wasn't a question either.

"And I get it..." Rosita told me she understood my view on this. "I used to believe that, too. Thing is sometimes, you just have to wait," Rosita said, my eyes met hers as I listened to her.

She sounds really passionate and remorseful about this. "Sometimes you don't get to know," Rosita was firm in her words. "I just wish it didn't take seeing Sasha walk out of that coffin to realise it," Rosita finally realised her regret for what happened to Sasha.

If her and Sasha didn't go, maybe none of us would be here but maybe we would. Rosita then turned away and left me to my thoughts. Maybe, this isn't a good idea...I don't want to do this without Rick or Kat. Not when we've all been working so hard for this moment to happen.

Maybe Rosita is right and waiting, is the best option we have. Daryl though instantly opened the door to the truck and climbed in. "Come on," Daryl encouraged for me and Tara to join him.

"Let's go," Daryl was eager and ready to finish this and I was still trying to convince myself that this was the way to go as I climbed up into the truck and felt Tara shut it behind us as she sat beside me. Wedged between Daryl and Tara, I tried to think over my options as quickly as I could, but it felt like a lifetime before we stopped beside the Sanctuary.

DPOV

Since the talk we had, where Rosita decided not to help us. I knew Michonne had a doubtful look since Rosita declared she had faith in our leader figures. In the two who were making things happen their way but I had my way.

After everything they did to me, to Glenn, Abraham, Maggie, Sasha...to Kat. I have to see this through. I have to. For her more than anything. It was in my gut, the feeling of needing to end him, to end them ever hurting us again, I didn't care who else suffered, as long as it was done.

As long as it was over, I didn't care. As I drove on, I felt how Michonne's body stiffened, her eyes distant as she looked on, anywhere but at our job. "Hey, cut that engine. Any closer, you'll draw walkers from the yard," Morgan warned me through the walkie talkie, pulling me from my thoughts.

Parking up, the brakes squeal, the engine shuts off and we were all sat in our seats, getting ready for our next move. Inspecting the area, making sure it was clear, making sure the walkers were still where they were supposed to be, I then went to hand the sniper scope to Tara.

"Here," I said as I offered it. Glancing to Michonne, her eyes were glued to the distance, her hands on her gun weren't as firm as I knew they could be. Is she having second thoughts?

"You take fire from the windows, we fire back," Morgan reassured us we had back-up for what we were about to do. The static sounded just after as I glanced to the walkers clawing for entry.

This is how we win. It has to be. "Come on. There's a spot for cover by the chutes," Tara said to Michonne as she climbed out and got ready for the next step to our plan.

But the fact Michonne didn't climb out, or look away, proved to me she was having second thoughts. "You up for this?" I asked her, glancing to her briefly, before looking to the walkers. Michonne's jaw hung open, like she was lost in something and it was most likely, her thoughts.

"I came here 'cause I wanted to see things for myself. I wanted to know that things were gonna work," Michonne began telling me why she was here in the first place. "But you know what?" Michonne asked me but didn't look at me.

Luckily, she was blinking now, not just staring off to the distance. She was slowly returning to her body and not stuck in her thoughts, far from here. "I don't get to know that," Michonne revealed to me, shaking her head.

"None of us do," Michonne's words were matched with furrowed eyebrows. Her head turning slowly to gaze at me. "What I do know is that things are working now," Michonne told me but for me, I wondered how long it would work.

My eyes glued to the Sanctuary, holding all those willing to kill us if they got out. "So maybe...we just need to trust that things are gonna keep working, because this..." Michonne's head would shake outside my periphery vision.

"What we're about to do..." the more Michonne preached, the more I could see Kat telling me the same thing. "It's not worth risking us," Michonne concluded as her head turned to look at me, a deep sigh had left me during her speech.

I have to risk this. I can't risk losing more people. And if I die doing this, it will mean I'm keeping Kat safe from him. Keeping our child, safe from him. "It is for me," I told her softly as she stared at me.

When I slowly lowered my eyes to where I sat, then to her gaze, searching for mine, I knew it was just a concerned family member looking out for me. She's with Rick, I'm with Kat, we're more family than we were before. "Just is," I told her as I gave a very small shrug.

My eyes that met hers, saw the concern shinning through them, as she listened on to my words. I have to do this, to protect us, to protect Kat and our child. When I looked away, so did Michonne, shaking her head as she thought over it.

She's got to know that this is all for Kat, for our child. I can't risk losing anyone else and if they got out, I didn't want to picture what would happen. "I hope it works. I-I really, really do, but I-I can't do it," Michonne was struggling for the right words as she got a little emotional, from what I could sense.

Michonne continued to shake her head, briefly, she'd shut her eyes tightly but when they opened, she stared at the Sanctuary, the same way I did. "I just can't," Michonne said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Feeling that pain, of not knowing what could happen, that she didn't or couldn't risk us in this fight, I understood her. I want to have faith in Kat and Rick but I can't risk them finding a way out the longer we wait.

I get it. I do. But I'm not thinking about me anymore. I can't think about just me anymore. Feeling my own emotions hit me, I had shut my eyes for a second and nodded. Turning my head to look at her, I respected her and accepted the fact she was no longer with us.

Chewing on the skin of my bottom lip, I knew I had to let Michonne go back and do this alone. "Then you shouldn't," I accepted her decision, encouraging her to go back home, back to Carl and to do what she had to do.

Gently, Michonne placed her hand over mine, giving the back of my hand a little bit of a rub before giving it a squeeze, I watched her look ahead before she bowed her head and climbed out of the truck.

Gazing at the Sanctuary, I felt my heart break. I want to have faith that everything will be fine but the longer we wait, the more time they get to figure out a way to get out alive. I can't risk that. I can't wait and hope for the best. I have to do something.

Feeling my heart breaking at the gesture of Michonne, I knew a part of my family was leaving with her. Looking to see Michonne leaving, she'd exchanged a look with Tara before she left us.

Without warning, Tara appeared beside me. "We got Morgan and the snipers," Tara said, startling me a little. "We can do this," Tara was confident that this plan was going to work.

Even if I don't survive, I'm doing this for those I care about. For Rick, for Carl, Judith, Michonne, Carol, Maggie, Kat...everyone. "Yeah," I agreed with her. "We will," I said as I raised my gaze to look at the Sanctuary, my motivation, it was all there. It was all I had to look at to get me to do this.

DWIGHT'S POV

I'd had a feeling, since the moment Eugene confronted me, that he was up to something. That he had a plan to get the walkers away and if he did, it would only bring the workers back to a settled, relaxed and trusting the Saviors once more.

It was something I couldn't afford, not with how far we'd come to get to this point now. Following Eugene around, I had seen him leave for the storage, when I found him on the roof, I heard pieces of his confident speech, as I approached him, I took out my gun.

There was a machine, that would fly, attached with something that I could only guess would make noise to draw the walkers away. "Don't turn around," I ordered of him, forcing him to freeze on the spot. "Get up, back away from that thing," I instructed.

Watching Eugene slowly uncurl his back, moving away from the machine he'd created, I had hope Eugene would work on the right side, instead of doing what he thought he had to in order to protect himself, along with others. "Back away from it!" I demanded when he didn't listen the first time.

Eugene's arms came up at either side of him but he didn't back away. "I'm attempting to save people, Dwight. And killin' me is killin' a great many innocents," Eugene tried to convince me this wasn't the best move for me to make.

I can't let him ruin the plans. "When this bird slips its surly bounds, it's gonna Pied Piper away their cold corpses and...free this place," Eugene informed me of what he had planned with what he'd made.

I knew it. I knew not to trust him. "And Negan will kill Rick, and Daryl, and Kat, and Rosita and all your old friends," I tried to steer him to the right path, the one where everyone he cared about, lived.

Surely, he must care about them, right? "They're former travelling companions, nothing more," Eugene proved me wrong by stating they meant nothing at all to him.

Like they had meant nothing at all. And they were all willing to protect him before he turned their back on them. "I'm working with them to keep them and the people here alive," I stated what I was doing as I stepped closer to him. "We can get rid of Negan. Just Negan," I reassured him that no one else had to die.

But if he kept going down this path, it would only prove he wasn't the an he was supposed to be. A good one, better than me. I don't think he's killed anyone before. "And we're almost there," I encouraged him to hold off, until Rick and the others finished their plan.

"Negan ain't the dyin' type, Dwight," Eugene wasn't convinced that Negan wouldn't die or surrender to them. Everyone dies...

I was sure Negan would die too and I hoped it to be soon. "Oh, but you are, Eugene," I threatened him as I pressed the barrel of the gun to the back of his head. I'll blow his brains out if I have to...feed him to the walkers.

Eugene shook and his voice broke when he spoke. "I am," Eugene didn't deny it. "That's exactly why I've not yet stepped back, as it were," Eugene cried. "By my reckoning, I have two selects on facin' my fate," Eugene spoke about why he didn't do as I said.

He better not. "One, I abort launch on this glider, don't free this place from the stranglehold of cold teeth-slash-tongues, and Negan will likely execute me as what he considers to be a personal favor," Eugene told me his first option.

Keeping my eyes on his head, I didn't notice until too late, that he'd put both hands on the remote of the toy plane he created. "Or I could go for what's behind door number two," Eugene began.

"Take my chances being shot in the back by a sometime-ally, despite any injury I may have caused in the past by delivering a chomp down on your chode," Eugene said while I glared at him.

My arm shook at the fear of having to kill him, but by how he was talking and insinuating he was going to go against me, I was mad. I had to prepare myself for if he did set that toy flying.

If he does it, I have to kill him. Watching him bend down slowly, I followed him with my gun and felt my heart pound. My face hardening as I knew what I needed to do. Don't touch it Eugene. As soon as the upbeat music played loudly, I knew this was it.

Eugene sent the machine flying, to which I now had to make a choice. Shoot him...or shoot the machine. Kill him, or spare him his life. But Honey, she'd hate me more if she knew of this moment. A man, shaken with fear, trying to save innocents.

But he's only making things worse! Killing him, makes you more of a monster you've already become. The choice had been made. I'd shot the toy, watching it fall and spared Eugene his life. I only hope he will spare mine later.

Once I saw it fall, I turned my back on Eugene and left him there. Cowering as I did my best to prepare myself for what was to come. Let's hope Rick and his group do this before Negan begins killing us all off.

DPOV

Sat in my truck, all I needed to do now, was wait until Tara was in her position, to cover me in case anything happened. "I'm here. I'm ready," Tara told us through the walkie-talkie.

All I've got to do now, is wait for the go ahead. It would be Morgan to state he was ready. "South lookout...ready for go," Morgan said as he radioed back to me.

"East lookout, ready," another voice said through the walkie-talkie.

Bowing my head, I thought about Michonne, about Rosita, about what they had said. The last time I pulled them into one of my plans, Glenn died. Now, I'm doing this with others from our group. I only hope this goes well...

I only hope this works out okay. Kat's words rang in my mind. And this baby...it needs its father. I heard Kat's voice echo in my mind. "North lookout, ready," a female voice spoke through the walkie-talkie.

Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I began to drive a little closer, seeing Tara's head poke around the corner to watch me pull up to the spot where I'd begin my rush to the herd, to bust the doors of the Sanctuary in.

"West lookout, ready," another voice said through the walkie-talkie as I gazed at my goal. I can do this. I have to. For Kat. For our child. So no one else can hurt us again.

Gazing over to the Sanctuary, I was ready. For the people I love...I have to do this. "Now!" I ordered everyone to be prepared because I stepped on the gas and yelled this order into the walkie-talkie.

Hearing shots being fired as I drove past Tara, who was shooting at those on watch by the windows, Morgan too and the others began shooting, to distract them and keep their heads down while I drove the truck towards the door.

In my head, flashes of Kat's smile, of my hand on her bump, her eyes staring up at me as we stood in that clearing, waiting for everyone to settle down for the speech. I could see our kiss, feel it on my lips as I stared ahead but felt so far away.

Then, her words rang out to me again. And this baby...it needs it father. Her words echoed in my mind. It needs you to be there for it, too. Her words got clearer and I knew what I had to do. I need to get back, for her, for our child. I need to stay safe.

Keeping my head low, I moved a cinder block to rest on the gas pedal as I ducked and dropped out of the truck, spiralling before I rose onto my feet once more. Hearing the truck roll into walkers before ramming into the door. Before I could see it, I quickly got back onto my feet and ran to hide behind a car.

Clutching onto the walkie, I kept moving until everything fell silent. The shots weren't being heard anymore and it felt like the coast was clear. They have a bigger problem than us now. "Daryl, you're clear to the south. You and Tara should head home," I heard Morgan tell us through the walkie talkie as I approached Tara, who had me covered.

As we ran away, I went straight to a car that Morgan said we could use, so that we could get back to Alexandria. Let's hope this works. And let's hope those who were innocent in there, like families and the elderly, are safe. They deserve a chance. And not just for them, but for what Kat and Rick wanted, too.

KPOV

Once I heard footsteps approaching, I quickly got to my feet and took a few steps back, away from the door, because I had no clue what was about to happen and who was there. When the doors opened and the sunlight leaked through.

All night, I'd done my best to sleep but the fear of not knowing what was going on or what could happen, had kept me up a few hours longer than I would of liked to have admitted. Getting as much rest as I could, it was startling to not be surrounded by darkness anymore.

Being taken by each arm by the Scavengers leader's people, I was forced out of my cell and into the open. "What's going on?" I asked her, needing answers as I wondered where my father was now. And if he was still alive.

"Where's my father?" I questioned as she walked ahead of me and lead the way for her people to take me.

The woman looked over her shoulder at me. "Time for after," the woman said, in a cryptic tone. What the hell is that supposed to mean? Pulling myself back, her people kept tugging me forward and dragged me to wherever they were taking me. What is 'after'?

CPOV

Taking a small brown bag of food, of candles and matches for Siddiq, along with a backpack where I could store a lounge chair, a pillow and some blankets. I went to visit him outside our walls and down into the sewers. With Siddiq's help, we set up the bed together and then, we decided to take a break so I could give him the food I had stashed for him.

First, I had collected all the candles and lit a couple for him. Handing him some plastic utensils, some canned food and a Big Cat, I sat with him and talked to him about how the Big Cat was my favourite snack. Of how me and Kat would share every single Big Cat we ever ate.

Siddiq, had taken the snack but he then offered to share it with me during our discussions of our pasts, of our families and those we'd lost along the way. The moment he decided to share the Big Cat, the same way me and my sister did, I smiled at the thought. He's a good guy.

Thanking him for the piece he snapped for me, I later went back home, to spend some time with Judith. Deciding to make the most of the little time I had left, I had sat with her on the porch, enjoying the sounds of the birds and of life that surrounded us. From people talking, to the soft babbling of Judith as she looked to me.

My eyes then drifted to Kat's hand print on the wooden panels on the floor on the porch we sat on. An idea came to mind, so I decided to execute it with Judith. Getting some blue paint, myself and Judith had dipped our hands into it, before we placed our hands on the wooden flooring.

Just underneath Kat's white hand print, accompanied my big blue hand and Judith's little blue hand. Looking to it, I felt proud and when Judith looked up to me with a smile, I smiled back at her.

Both of us appeared proud of our work. Raising my hand up high, she gave me a high five and a big toothy grin straight after. My eyes then drifted to the hand prints forming a triangle with a small smile on my lips. I hope Kat finds this...

Moving on, after I cleaned our hands of the messy paint, I took a picture of us on the porch steps, when I saw the picture, I smiled and took it to her room. Placing it on the counter of her chest of drawers, I smiled. I hope she remembers me, but even if she doesn't, she'll still have this picture of us...

RPOV

Hearing the door open, I got to my feet. Being dragged, I was lead to a clearing but at the same time, so was Katherine. She looked fine, but I still felt worry for her, as I stood in my boxers in front of her, I was lucky to see my daughter was still fully clothed but tied at her wrists like I was.

"Kat," I called to my daughter as my heart raced, seeing her, I was thankful she was safe. "Are you alright?" I asked her, needing an answer from her. Her blue eyes glued to mine as she too looked as confused as I felt.

"Yeah," Kat answered with a few nods. "Are you?" Kat asked me but then her eyes trailed my body and she was left confused. "Why are you in only your boxer shorts?" Kat asked me, confused as to why I was in this state.

"I'm lucky they didn't take them off during my protests and slight fight back," I told her but the more I looked at her, the more I began to remember she wasn't supposed to be here. Kat had looked around, trying to pull herself from the guy's hold.

Being shoved onto my knees, I watched Kat stood still where she was. "Hey," I called for her attention. "This wasn't the plan," I growled at her.

Kat glared over at me. "I didn't trust them with you," Kat told me.

Suddenly, Kat was shoved onto her knees forcefully, too. "Hey!" I yelled to the guy who shoved her to her knees. "Don't you touch her!" I shouted, not wanting my daughter manhandled the way she had been.

"And with good reason, too," Kat told me as she looked over to me, the man's hand stayed on her shoulder, just as my captive held me down with two hands, now that I'd protested over my daughter's safety.

Glaring at my daughter, I tried to catch my breath as the fear, the worry and anger were taking over. "You shouldn't be here!" I reminded her of what our plan was supposed to be. It's meant to be me, alone.

Kat was looking to me with an incredulous look on her face. "I had a feeling something bad happened and I was right!" Kat shouted over at me.

"Hey! Watch your tone!" I warned her darkly, reminding her that I was still her father. "I'm your father," I reminded her that she needed to respect me when she talked to me.

Having this argument with her, it was getting my heart to pound in my chest and I was getting angrier by the second. "I'm not going to apologise for being here!" Kat argued a little more softly.

"We get locked up and you're in nothing but your shorts..." Kat pointed out to me a little angrily. "You should be thanking me for finding you when I did," Kat argued more calmly. "If you died, who the hell would know?" Kat spoke some sense in this.

Glaring over at her, I didn't like she was here as she was now putting herself in danger. "You didn't give me enough time," I reasoned with her as to her lack of patience. "I'm supposed to be here alone," I repeated the plan.

"Now you risked both our lives by being here," I shook my head as I bowed it. "I had it under control," I was confident that this was going well.

Kat let out a scoff. "Control? This is under control? What does out of control look like then?" Kat mocked me a little.

Squinting up at her, I didn't like her tone with me and it was starting to get annoying. The pregnancy is making me want to strangle her when she gets like this. "I had it under control," I said through gritted teeth.

What I didn't notice, was doors opening to reveal Jadis walking towards us. "Enough," Jadis ordered of us to stop the bickering between us. Panting as I looked to Jadis, what happened next, was completely unexpected...

DWIGHT'S POV

Doing my best to help keep the workers and families safe, I watched on as walkers had entered the building, eating fighters and workers alike. This wasn't the plan. But I had hope that this was one way that the workers that lived, would turn against Negan and offer him over to Rick and the others.

As we fought against the walkers to clear them out enough, we pushed everyone upstairs, to keep them safe and let the dead take the lowest floor. Regina had been the one to knock on the door. "What?" we heard Negan say behind the door.

When the door opened, Regina walked in first, then followed by me and after me, were the others. "We have the stairs. But the dead ones have the lower level...the whole thing," Regina informed Negan of how much we could keep from the dead taking it from us.

It had been our attempt to keep the walkers away but now that they were inside, we needed to keep as much of our living space for us but with the walkers inside, it was slowly becoming theirs completely.

"Not much longer," Negan was confident in his words. "See, Eugene has solved us a way out of this mess," Negan was giving us a picture as his hand gestured for us to see what he saw. "And...he actually says he has a topper," Negan was grinning as he spoke.

What was Eugene going to tell him. Stood beside Eugene, I looked up at Negan. "Yeah?" I asked, a little speechless. He doesn't know, for now but...will Eugene tell him now? Glancing to Eugene, his eyes were glued to me and that was when I knew.

He was going to rat me out to him. Bowing my head, I waited for his next words, for him to tell Negan that it was me that set this whole thing up. With Rick, with the outposts, with the bag of guns. All of it. "I think I could fix the intercom system," Eugene announced.

Shocked, I didn't think he was going to keep quiet about me being the traitor. "Which, uh...would absolutely change the face of communications here," Eugene either lied or covered for me. I did spare his life. I guess he spared mine too. For the time being.

Feeling a breath of relief leave me, I tried to hide it as I looked between Eugene and the table in front of me. "That's it?" Negan wondered why this was something he needed to be excited about.

I was relieved Eugene didn't rat me out. "Sorry," Eugene apologised but Negan was left perplexed. It's like he expected something juicy. "That kind of thing, uh..." Eugene said as I glanced at him.

Eugene's eyes met mine briefly and they looked a little nervous, or angry, or like he didn't know what else to come up with. "Well, cranks my shaft," Eugene made an excuse for himself. "I'll leave you to the last action item," Eugene excused himself as he left.

This left me, Regina, Negan and the others to come up with a new plan on how we were going to be rid of the walkers, or how we were going to at the very least, deal with them enough, to keep them back for the time being. Until Eugene could come up with something else.

KPOV

Waiting for what this leader had planned for us, I was panting, the argument with my father really boiled my blood with rage as he told me off for being worried about him. With good reason too, as I found him in nothing but his shorts and tied up the same way I was.

Seeing a walker on a stick exit through the same doors the leader walked through, my eyes widened and I felt more puzzled by how it looked. It had a helmet, of what looked like small daggers sticking out from around the crown.

Shifting a little, I glanced to my father, who too, looked worried for what was coming next. Who is that going to attack first? When my father's gaze met mine briefly, he too held fear in them as he must of thought the same as me.

"Time for after," the leader announced, before she had her guy lead the walker approach my father.

"No!" I yelled. Not wanting to see my father get devoured by that walker with horns. Struggling against her guy holding me down, I used my elbow to hit him in the balls before I went rushing over to my father.

The walker was on its knees, snapping its teeth as it got closer to him but when my dad saw me get free from my detainer, dad had used his tied fists to punch the guy up the face. As I jumped up, and used my locked wrists to wrap them around the guy holding the walker on the stick's neck.

Choking him, as we both began stumbling a little on the floor. "Subdue!" the leader ordered as the people who detained us were finally getting to their feet.

"Grab the stick!" I yelled at my father who did as I said and began controlling the walker. Feeling my back hit into a pile of trash, the guy ducked out of my hold and my detainer went to grab me once more.

As dad's detainer went for him, dad used the stick to whack him back. Kicking mine in the knee, I scrambled to my feet and used the walker's body to guide my body up. Pushing back before the walker's face could get too close to mine.

When the guy that held the walker got to his feet, dad looked to me. "Duck!" dad yelled, to which I did as he said, the stick flew over my head as he whacked the next guy down. Dad's detainer went to stand up, to knee my father but dad had blocked it with the stick, then hit him in the face using the stick.

As soon as the other detainer got to his feet, I shoved him back using my arm and shoulder, before I tried to snap his knee using the heel of my foot. When I heard him grunt and fall, I looked up to see my dad turn the walker to shove the guy who held the stick away from us.

When dad had knocked his detainer off his feet using the stick, I moved in to knock him out using my foot. When I turned around, I saw the walker's head being torn off his body. Dad tossed the walker to the floor, but the leader began rushing over to him, a gun in her hands.

Hearing the struggle, I picked up the walker head on the stick, using it to keep the other two away using the stick. Knocking one out with it, then using the spikes to properly tare his knee up. As everyone was on the ground, I looked back to see that dad avoided the shots the leader shot at him.

Before he shoved her onto the ground, more of her people were coming. When I heard them rush over, before they could hurt us, I put the walker's head as close to the leader's face as possible. Inching it closer and closer while my father held her down while he straddled her, holding her hands to her face in his grasp.

Panting as the others surrounded us now, all their guns to our faces as we were drenched in sweat from the fight. Good thing we worked as a team. Now...we need to work together to get out of this mess...

RPOV

Kat was looking around, holding the stick closer to Jadis's face, her hands in mine as I held her down with my hips. Making sure she was trapped under me. Kat was watching out for if someone made a move to shoot either one of us.

"We're walking out now, and us walking out means all of you die," I announced to them. "Our people...there's a lot of them...won't attack today, but we will attack," I warned them.

The walker was growling and snapping its teeth as Kat brought the head just an inch closer, to show them not to mess with us. Jadis looked terrified as she looked up at Kat, at the walker head she had on the stick just inches away from her terrified face.

Jadis struggled under me, tried to fight but eventually, she gave up. "You can play your games, draw your pictures, sculpt whatever shit you want, but we are leaving!" I told everyone loudly, tired of how they had been treating me lately.

I wanted them on our side but if they won't, then they're as good as dead. "After that...maybe you should just run," I advised them. Jadis slipped a hand out from my grasp, the hand that wasn't near the walker's head. When her hand turned into a fist, everyone lowered their guns.

Looking up to Kat, her eyes scanned the group curiously. She doesn't trust them yet. "We done?" I asked her once everyone lowered their guns, my body hovering over hers.

Jadis struggled to look away from Kat, from the walker she had close to her face. "Yes," Jadis whispered. Looking back up to Kat, I gave her a nod and she kept her face hard. Slowly, she removed the walker from Jadis's face. Getting to my feet, offering a hand to Jadis, I helped Jadis get up onto her feet next.

Kat tossed the walker head to the floor but kept her eyes glued to the others around us. "Join you," Jadis said once we were both face to face. "What then?" Jadis asked of me.

Trying to regain my breath, we were all out of breath after the fight we'd just had. "The Sanctuary is surrounded. Walkers. Twenty deep around the compound," I informed her. "You'll come with me there-" I went to say but was cut off.

Cut off, by none other than my daughter. "Us there," Kat corrected me firmly.

I knew Kat, I knew how stubborn she could be and how she wouldn't let me leave without her. There's no convincing her either. "Us there," I changed my plan. "We'll wait 'till the others meet us. When they do, we'll ask the lieutenants to surrender," this was the plan I was trying to sell to Jadis and her people.

"All of us, together," I made this part clear. We work, as a team, as joined forces. "Then I kill Negan, me alone," I was set to be the one to kill him, because I had to. For what he did. To me, to my people, to my daughter...he needs to die and I have to be the one to do it.

For my daughter's honour and the memory of Glenn, of everyone we have lost because of him. "We have a deal?" I asked Jadis as I looked her directly in the eyes and took a step closer.

"After, Saviors' things our things," Jadis put her part of the deal in. "Yes and yes," Jadis was convinced that this was supposed to be theirs alone.

That's not how it works. Not when we were the ones doing all the work. "It'll be all of ours," I corrected her. "You'll get a fourth," I reassured her she wouldn't leave empty handed after the war was won.

This didn't seem to appease Jadis though. "Half," Jadis went for having the largest amount.

Not possible. There's Alexandria, the Hilltop and the Kingdom involved too. Evenly, it splits into four. "A fourth," I was staying firm with my decision.

Jadis took a step closer, to which Kat gave her a stern look from the corner of my eye. "Fourth, and I sculpt you after," Jadis suggested as she glanced up and down my frame. "Stand for me, those off," Jadis glanced to my shorts.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Kat look over disgusted. No kid wants to hear about their parent being naked, much less a father hearing his daughter was naked either. Before my thoughts could trail to how Kat and Daryl had made that child, I focused on the deal at hand.

Raising my wrists, close to my face, I showed her the restraints around my wrists. "These off, no sculpting," I was annoyed of her desire to see me naked. "Take her restraints off first," I gestured to Kat to which Jadis glanced behind her to look at my daughter.

Kat must be sore, just like I feel with these ropes keeping our wrists together. And they ache like hell. "Then, my boots and my clothes now," I ordered.

It's still a fourth. "Fourth," Jadis agreed to it, feeling a little pain possibly from the rejection. "Fourth," Jadis repeated. Looks like we won.

Glancing to Kat, to share the small victory, Kat tried to keep a straight face but her lips did curl very slightly as her eyes met my smile. We can do this. Together.

CPOV

Once Barbara went to take Judith from me, to look after her for a while, I decided to take this opportunity to help build this place, to make it look prettier. Kat always did want a rose bush in front of our home...

Remembering all these things, only made me more eager to help make this place look prettier for the future. It's one way I can stay around, even when I'm dead and gone. Judith wasn't far, as she was playing on a spot in the grass. Keeping my eye on her from time to time while Barbara went to get her food ready, I was focused on my gardening.

Hearing the gates open and a car pull up in the distance, I saw Michonne drive up after Rosita had appeared not long after. When Michonne spotted me, she waved to me with a smile and parked up. Raising my arm up to gesture my own little greeting her back wave, I lowered my arm and looked on. My smile grew once I'd seen Michonne was back.

Removing my hat, I was hot, sweaty, feeling a little feverish as I could feel the bite taking its effect already. Ignoring the pain, the heat it gave me, I focused on the sun that was still high above my head and radiating warmth. This might be the last time I feel the sun upon my face.

As I rose my head to gaze up at the sun, my eyes shut as I felt the radiating warmth and the sweat building on my face, dampening my hair. I was at peace. I'm ready. Even if I shouldn't be. I'm at peace because I lived, the way I wanted to and I can only hope to say goodbye to my sister and my father...

RPOV

Driving out in a few of their trucks, we stopped nearby, just a few blocks away from where Sanctuary was. Leading the way through a door, I held my hand up, signalling them to stay back. Kat though, she followed close to me, her bow and arrow in her grasp as she followed me.

Reaching a watch point, one of our guys was dead, hanging off the ladder, devoured by walker. As the walkers saw us, I pulled out my knife and took one down quietly. But it had been Kat to end the two approaching quickly, using her bow and arrows, ending them with incredible accuracy. Good to see she's still got it.

While she took her arrows back, giving them a quick clean, I pulled our guy down and made sure the guy stayed dead. Taking the corpse's walkie-talkie, I pressed the button and began speaking through it. "Snipers, report in," I spoke through to them.

But all I heard, was static. "This is Rick Grimes. Does anybody copy?" I tried again, hoping to get a response as I looked back, Kat was alert but Jadis looked to be bored being stood there.

Placing the walkie on my belt, I took the look out's gun, checking to make sure the scope still worked, I was prepared for the climb up to the top. Turning to Kat once no response was given, I took my first step to climb up.

"Stay here, keep watch. I'm going to take a look on higher ground," I told her, Kat gave me a single nod as I began my climb all the way to the top. Hopeful Kat could handle herself if a couple of walkers approached, I climbed up and took my gun off from around me.

Moving to get a good look at the Sanctuary, bringing the scope up to my eye, I felt my heart sink at the sight. They're gone. The walkers were gone, it had looked like the Saviors found a way out and this, was a bad sign.

Alexandria. Carl. Judith. Michonne. Everyone we loved, was bound to be in danger now. Alexandria is the firs place Negan would hit once he got out. We need to get back there, now.

CPOV

Once Michonne decided to take over for Barbara, I decided to go up to my room for a bit and to clean myself up a little. But truthfully, I did clean myself up and went to work on writing letters to those I feared I wouldn't see before I died.

Writing out letters for everyone I cared about, like Maggie, Carol, Michonne, Enid, Kat and dad. There were far more letters to the pile but one that I was deliberating writing, was a letter to Negan. But something in my gut told me he was still alive, that maybe he got out.

Deciding to write one for him too, I placed my letters to one side, the more I wrote, the more the fever was starting to take its effect on me, as sweat dripped down my hair, my face and along my back. Looking to the words I wrote, I could only hope. I just hope I can say goodbye...and that they'll listen to the words written in their letters.

A/N: Things are only going to get sadder, I'm afraid. And Kat, Rick and the others are all clueless as to what is going on right now. Get ready, because it's going to only get worse from here before it can get better.

With Kat looking out for her father, not being there for her brother and the others once Negan is about to attack, it's going to get tense. And we all know what this means now...it's the big reveal for Kat, Rick and the others to find out about Carl's bite.

And...a fight with Negan. Hmm...I wonder what I have up my sleeve for this. Oh, I already know, seeing as by the time you're reading this, I've already finished the chapter and written the scene.

ANYWAY. YOU KNOW THE DEAL. 5 REVIEWS AND THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE OUT AS SOON AS A FORTNIGHT IF I RECEIVE ALL 5.

In case you want to be fully informed of all the updates, you can find me on instagram, under the same name I have here. There, you are always likely to find me. There, you can see updates, edits, future projects and many more things.

Questions you can answer in the reviews:

1) What did you think of this chapter?

2) Favourite scene in this chapter?

3) How did you feel about the whole Daryl and Michonne's internal struggle about Daryl's and Rick's plans?

4) What did you think about Kat and Rick's fight where they worked as team?

5) How do you think Kat will react when she sees the bite?

Until those 5 reviews are gifted...

Much love,

HeroJustInTime90