Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead

Final chapter

At times she wondered how things were going at the Sanctuary. When she did, her first thought went to the wives. If the war had started, were they still alive? Where they staying someplace safe or had nothing changed for them?

Sherry preferred to imagine them slipping away while Negan was too busy fighting, but she doubted it would be that easy now. She also imagined them cursing her for abandoning them. They wouldn't call her a friend any longer. Then again, she had the baby, so there was a chance they might have understood.

When her thoughts turned to Negan, her stomach twisted.

Was he leading his men into battle? Was he winning, or losing?

Either way, there was an unpleasant twist in her heart. It worried her to think that she might actually care what happened to the bastard. She had no love for him, yet there had been times where she felt it was love even though it wasn't. And now that she was away from him, it was confusing and almost hurtful, yet there was so much relief. She was sure it would be easier if Sebastian didn't look so much like him.

The days fell into a steady routine. One that worried her since she was alone, trying to help a baby survive. She had to risk taking him with her when it came time to find food. After she put the baby to bed, a makeshift bundle of blankets, she'd settle down and cry.

Maybe it had all been a bad mistake, leaving the Sanctuary. Maybe the greater mistake was not doing enough to ensure the baby was never born.

But then she'd look down at the innocent little face and a hint of a smile would appear. Sometimes she questioned whether she really loved the child. There were moments when she thought too deeply about Negan as she watched him, and that made her hate.

Sometimes she wished she couldn't feel.

A few more days passed which only became harder.

A lot of the dead had started to wonder into the area. There came a day when one nearly managed to snatch her arm and bite while another was waiting to devour the baby as soon as it was dropped. After that, she spent days locked indoors, convinced this was it. If they were going to die, it was better to starve to death than get eaten alive.

She sat on the floor with her knees drawn up, head pressed against them, listening as Sebastian cried. It didn't matter now that it was loud enough to lure the dead. There didn't seem to be a difference anymore. In her opinion she'd been living as the dead ever since she encountered Negan.

As her stomach growled, she found herself joining Sebastian in crying, and she couldn't stop.

"I'm sorry baby," she muttered between sobs. "I'm sorry." Though she wasn't exactly sure who she was apologizing to.

And suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

She ignored it the first time, believing she was imagining it. Then the knock sounded again.

She raised her head and frowned. The knocking sounded for a third time. Slowly she got to her feet and walked into the front room. There was the concern that someone had come to kill and rob. There was a jolt of fear that it could be Negan.

Quietly she lifted an eye to the peephole.

It was like a kick in the stomach that knocked the breath right out of her, because on the other side of the door, was Dwight.

Naturally she thought it was just a hallucination, brought on by lack of food. And feeling she had nothing to lose, she opened the door.

He stood there looking haggard and desperate, and she would've continued to believe she was looking at a fantasy had he not stared at her with sorrowful passion. It was a look she'd become quite familiar with during their time in that hellhole, and it informed her immediately that this was no hallucination or fantasy. He was real.

Sherry's body reacted impulsively as she surged forward and embraced him. She had no words. All she could do was cry with relief and pain. Dwight didn't try to stop her. He simply held her and allowed her to let it all out. It didn't matter to either how they ended up in the current situation. What mattered was the reunion.

When Sherry was able to stop, she wiped her tears and asked.

"What are you…what are you doing here?"

He stared at her momentarily before answering.

"When I first left, I came here. I came back to our home, but without you it wasn't. But I still stayed nearby just hoping I'd see you again."

Sherry's face broke into the first smile she'd had in a long time. But the moment was interrupted with the sound of Sebastian's sudden cry. Dwight turned in the direction of the cries and his face darkened.

"I decided to keep him," she stated firmly, knowing what was going on in his mind.

Dwight gave her a look of disbelief but she shook her head.

"He's not Negan. He won't be. I'll make sure of it. But if that's not what you want, I'll understand."

He was silent as he looked back at her, then he moved in the direction of the baby. Sherry followed feeling anxious.

He came to a stop at the foot of the bed and stared into the fold of blankets holding Negan's spawn. Sherry could feel the pain rolling off of him in waves as he monitored the baby and the tears began again. She embraced him from behind and buried her face into his back.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

It wasn't possible to have both. Negan had separated them, but his baby had forever torn them apart.

"He'll never know," Dwight muttered slowly.

"What?"

"He'll never know who Negan is. He'll just know us."

Sherry looked up at him, stunned. Dwight took a finger and swiped away a tear, then he embraced her yet again.

She shut her eyes and released a breath of relief, feeling free at last.

Hoped those that have been following enjoyed. It's a shame Sherry's not more popular. I did consider writing a scene where Dwight and Sherry are raising an older Sebastian, but I suppose I wasn't motivated enough. But in the end we know Dwight's gonna be there to help Sherry.

I still hope this inspires fics of Negan having a kid, even if it's by several of the wives