The Only One | Negan

3. Boss

"Ain't no way that's happening." Rick slammed his fist on the table with such force that the glasses shook.
I covered my face in my palms and inhaled deeply.

"Rick, please." I tried again tiredly. The conversation has been going on for hours on end and a solution wasn't being found. We just kept going round and round in circles, saying the same things over and over again.
I couldn't sleep properly the night before, nightmares flooding my mind. Visions of Glenn's lifeless face, all bloodied and beaten, Lori on the floor of the prison. Seeing all of my people dead. My parents. So today I was absolutely tired and wanted this discussion to be over.

"Please listen to reason. Our people will starve. And if we have to go out even further for supplies we would be forced to gather a bigger team. Which leaves Alexandria unprotected." I took a big sip of my wine. I needed the comfort. "This is what a leader does. It is what you would do too."

"I won't let you go there alone. God knows what this savage will do to you." Carol placed a motherly hand on my shoulder. Honestly, I expected her to back me up on this. "He's capable of anything, he's unpredictable."

"No, he won't do anything. If he wanted to, he would've done it already, he's not one for waiting. Also, I don't think he plans on killing me or torturing me, because otherwise he would've just taken me by force and not given me the option to decide. A whole week, too. After all, he said he valued me as a soldier, guess he wants me as his trooper." I sighed and ran my fingers on the rim of my glass. "Rick, we need the supplies. We need time to find more, otherwise, he'll get angry and...I have to do this. I have to buy us time until we figure something out. Until we organize and...Look, it will be temporary. I'm not that far away either and he won't lock me up in a dungeon. Hopefully."

"Hopefully?! And who says it will be temporary?!" Rick's voice suddenly rose up as he jumped from his chair. His steps were thunderous as he came to a halt right in front of me. "What if it's not temporary? What if he kills you to get his message across? If it's just some plan, another declaration of power, or...Not gonna lose you too, Donna. Not you. You are like a daughter to me, I raised you, I promised Tom that I will keep you safe. I can't let you do this, risk your life like that-"

His eyes were bloodshot as he spoke. I saw how distressed he was. Losing me was like losing Carl or Judith. He really did raise me half of the way through my tough teenage years. We were together for 8 years now. As he was raising me, I was raising Judith and Carl. Our own little family. The thought of being separated from them made my eyes sting. I got up from my chair and hugged him tight, crashing my face into his chest. My tears finally spilled from the corners of my eyes and started soaking his cotton shirt. He wrapped his hands around me, his left hand stroking my hair. I could feel him shaking, as the realization that I was going to do what I'd already decided and nothing was going to change my mind sank in. He knew I was like this - stubborn as hell. He made me like this. The world made me like this. My parents did. I saw no other option. I didn't want anyone else dying or starving and this deal didn't mean something awful happening to our people. Just me. I could take that. Hell, I could take even more.

Carl joined the hug and I ruffled his hair.

"You need to cut that mop off, big guy." I joked through tears and he laughed. I pulled away a bit to look at Rick. "Look. Alright, say it's not temporary. That'll be the perfect opportunity for us to finish this."

"What do you mean?" Rick frowned at me.

"I mean...he's letting his enemies right into his den. He's literally opening his gates for a Trojan horse. I can earn his trust. Get close. Gather all the information we need, deliver it straight to you. And then, when he least expects it, I will kill him." I sniffed and looked through the window. "Just kill him. End this, once and for all."