Don't Fear The Reaper (R. Grimes & D. Dixon)

58

The next day mid-morning, the hilltop gates creaked open upon a small group of Alexandrians' arrival. Rick squeezed kits hand twice as the gates opened, Maggie, Glenn, and merle waiting with small smiles. Rick stepped forward, hugging Maggie, Daryl, and merle quickly and briefly embracing before merle yanked kit to him to hug her and kiss the side of her head awkwardly. "Pull all the wildcard shit you can to get revenge for my brother and yours," he whispered in her ear, letting go. She nodded in understanding as Jody took her place, hugging the older man.

"We cant wait. Things changed on our end. We need to start making allies without the guns." Rick announced

"Your sure?" Glenn asked; rick nodded

"Guess you're gonna be needing this then," merle said, pulling out ricks colt. "I hate to part with it, though, kinda like it," he added as rick took it with a small smile, nodding.

"Thank you, merle," rick said sincerely.

"Anything else you find on your suicide trip? How'd you make it in and out anyway?" Kit asked, crossing her arms and turning back to merle

"Just say your negan and act like a degenerate asshole" kit opened her mouth "don't," he pointed to her without looking, and everyone smiled a little. "I did find some very valuable info, though."

"And Maggie's made great progress with the members here. Some even want her in charge." Glenn added

"Well, I-" she started.

"it's true. She's become a valuable member here." Jesus added as he and Sasha approached the latter, embracing kit immediately.

"Saviors made a walker problem one night," Sasha added when she stepped back.

"Well, if they want you, why not take the job?" Kit asked, turning back to maggie

"I'm no leader," she denied

"You are. You are." Rick said firmly

"If this place has any chance to survive, it needs an actual leader," Jesus cut in.

"So you take it." Maggie sassed "besides; I don't think its as easy as just taking the job," she added

"Maybe not," Jesus sighed, nodding to kit, who looked his way for the first time. She still wasn't sure what to even make of the man.

"Well, let's go see king shriveled dick," merle snorted, walking to the house, leaving everyone else to follow. Kit lagged briefly, whispering to Enid. The girl quickly nodded, wanting her boyfriend's mother's approval, running off to do as requested.

"No! No way in hell. That was not the deal. You people swore you could take the saviors out, and you failed. So any arrangement we had is now done. Null and void. We aren't trading partners, we aren't friends, and we never met. We don't know each other." Gregory ranted from his place behind his desk. Kit rolled her eyes from her place by the window, already done with his weak damage control to save his ass. "I owe you nothing. In fact, you owe me for taking in the refugees at great personal risk." He pressed

"Oh, you were courageous staying in here while maggie, Glenn, and Sasha saved this place. Your courage was inspiring." Jesus sassed, kit pursed her lips, and merle snorted.

"Hey, don't you work for me? Aren't we friends" he snapped back

"Gregory, we already started this." Rick stepped forward

" you started it"

"We did. And we're going to win."

"These are killers," Gregory whined.

"Is this how you wanna live? Under their thumb killing your people?"

"S-sometimes we don't get to choose what our life looks like. Sometimes, Ricky, you have to count the blessings you have." Every whiney excuse that escaped his mouth made her angrier and angrier.