Shambles- The Walking Dead [Alden x Maggie] [1/2]

28- Hope

"Are you still mad at me?" Maggie asked.

She and Alden had started their journey back to Hilltop on horseback a while ago. It was just the two of them now and they could talk openly without having to worry about people listening in. But despite being on their own, they'd been quiet ever since they left.

"I am," he replied with a heavy sigh. "You let them kill Arat. I can't just forget that because you came to me, upset. And you tried to kill Negan without talking to me about it."

"I don't need your permission to do something I believe is right," she shot right back at him with a scoff.

"I didn't say you need my permission," he sighed again. "But we're together, meaning I would still like to be informed when you want to commit a homicide that might put you in danger." He paused. "I don't know if it is best if I stay at Hilltop. Carol said there would always be a place for me and Rose in Kingdom, I might take her up on that offer."

Maggie fell silent and looked down. "That's not what I want." She paused as well. "You killed Gregory without telling me."

"I did and that was wrong," there was more annoyance in his voice than anger. "Yet you still practically thanked me for it. I think you wanted to kill him as much as I did."

"Okay, then tell me how killing Arat was any different from you killing Gregory?"

"Really?" He tilted his head. "The difference is the people. Arat was bettering herself, Gregory was not. And are you sure you want to get into this right now? Rick just died! Sanctuary won't last another week. Everything we built up is all screwed up because you and Daryl wanted to kill Negan!" he bellowed loudly.

This was the first time she'd seen him this mad. And she was glad about it. Till now she'd often worried if he just kinda went along with whatever she said out of love. But it wasn't enough to dial her own anger back.

"You want Negan dead as much as I do!" she yelled back.

Their yelling was starting to draw walkers towards them but neither of them cared, they had a fight to finish first.

"I don't know what I want to happen to Negan. I'm not the right person to ask. I'm good as long as I never have to see him again. He scared the living daylights out of me. Traumatized the heck out of me." He looked at her. He didn't want to fight about this because he knew they'd never reach a compromise on Negan.

She read the pain and hurt of his face and she softened her expression. "You're right about Gregory. I would've done the same. I would've killed Gregory for what he did too, you were just faster," she said a lot calmer now.

Her softening up broke him and he swallowed back tears. "Arat's dead and she was just like me. It could've been me they killed just as easily."

"Hold on. What do you mean? She fought for them and you didn't, you were a worker. You're different."

"We both know I wasn't just a worker. The only reason they let me be a worker was because I had expertise they could use. It got Rose and I a room instead of a stretcher in the main hall. She needed that, a spot to get away from everything. She hated that place so much. But if it weren't for me pleasing Simon and Negan by fixing the lights I would've had to fight too. I wouldn't have had a choice. Simon owned me because he found us and brought us back. It could've been me that slaughtered those people at Oceanside's old place without remorse because I was scared. And don't try to tell me that I wouldn't because you don't know what it was like to live there.."

"I know you just said that I shouldn't try to tell you what you're different from Arat..." she began somewhat hesitantly. "But you are. You got out and she didn't."