Love's Conquer

By Grace or Cruelty

Rick's POV

"This isn't a warning, King Ezekiel- whatever you fucking call yourself-" Negan snickered, "-it's a god damn punishment."

I pulled Glenn from the side of the wall, signalling for him to follow me as I jumped back down to ground level and ran to the sidelines of the surrounding forest.

"What did you see?" Aaron asked.

"Enough." I stated, narrowing my gaze over the members of Alexandria we had here to fight. "Rosita, take your group to the South facin' wall, wait for my call."

"Sure thing- let's move." Rosita instantly began leading her team.

"Ezra, I want your group on the West wall- same thing applies."

"On it."

"The rest of us are gonna take them from this side. We're gonna give the others enough time to get in position, then we attack. Everythin' goes as we planned, understood?" I looked over the nodding heads of support, they are ready. "We've got this—"

Before I could finish my sentence, the chaos grew as a ray of bullets were sent from within the Kingdom. Where Bella and our unborn child were still standing.

"No- no- no..." I growled, sprinting to the closest wall and retrieving my gun. Screams and cries for help echoed through the spread of gun fire, whilst all I was trying to do was find my wife.

"What the shit—"

"Everyone take aim, we're doing this now!" Glenn ordered.

"I found you." I barely whispered, catching sight of Bella as I tugged my rifle from around my shoulder and took aim through the scope. She was with one of the Saviors men, then another turned up, it was Dwight. They wrapped each of her arms around their shoulders and carried her to a service door.

She's safe.

"Come on motherfuckers!"

My mind was halted in thought, as I frowned at the overbearing voice and redirected my gaze through the scope.

"Damn it Merle..."

Bella's POV

"We have to go back!" I demanded, attempting to push through my newly appointed body guards.

"Not happening." Dwight pressed a hand against my shoulder, thinking that was enough to stop me.

"He will get himself killed." I growled. "I don't expect either of you to understand, a part of me doesn't anyway, but Merle... he-" I shook my head in frustration, but also in realisation of how much he did mean to me, "-he is my best friend. God forbid he ever hears that but he is my family and right now, because of me, he's willing to die so a part of me doesn't."

"You think I give a damn who your best friend is or isn't- have you seen where we are- do you even get what's at stake here?" Gavin whisper shouted, his anger building. "If it wasn't for him, you'd have another innocent life on your hands."

"Richard was far from innocent." I spat, as though my own anger acted as justification for the horror I had committed.

Gavin narrowed his eyes towards me in judgement, "Who the fuck are you?"

"Who the fuck am I?"

"Those people out there- that are still out there, half of them are gonna be dead by now... because of you and some fragile fuckin' plan." His plastered anger turned to disbelief as he lowered his voice slightly, trying not to let it raise. "A few days ago you showed me there was more to life- you gave me hope for a better future. Now... you're just destroying it before we even get there."