A Galway Runner and a Kentucky Cop

80

The Key
Part One

Y/n eyes the Saviors Maggie has prisoner warily, hands clenching and unclenching at her sides. She tears her eyes from them when Carl steps forwards with Judith on his hip.
"Come here, sweetheart." Rick mummers gently as he takes her into his arms, he presses a soft kiss on her temple as he turns and walks over to Y/n, standing close enough he brushed against her "There's momma." He chuckles softly
Y/n presses a kiss to Judith's cheek, closing her eyes as she held her and Rick close "I'm missin' someone." She points out, looking at Carl with an eyebrow raised
Carl rolls his eye but walks over and lets her embrace them, smiling when he felt how she untensed having them all in her arms.
"We're okay." She breathes out "We survived again." She kisses the top of Carl's head, both him and Rick relaxing in her embrace "We always do."
"We always will." Rick presses his lips to Carl's head as he closed his eyes, taking a moment to soak in the comfort and warmth of his family.
Y/n looks around, sharing a smile when her eyes fell on Michonne and Niall who were embracing each other as they watched the family reunite.
She meets Daryl's eyes and sends him a wink that makes him scoff, but he can't hide the smile on his face.
Taking a deep breath she pulls back, keeping an arm around Carl's shoulder.

Y/n sat on the steps of the museum, Judith playing between her and Carl in the shade. She takes a deep breath as her eyes scan over the Hilltop, it was quiet, calm, at least for the moment.
"Where's dad?" Carl asks
She looks down at her hands "Vistin' Abe and Glenn..." She takes a deep breath "I wanted to go, but for some reason..." She sighs, shaking her head "For some reason... it doesn't feel right to see them after losin' Alexandria--Our home."
She glances at him "It doesn't feel right goin' to see them when the fights still goin' on, it was supposed to end after they were surrounded."
Carl nods a little "Are you mad? At... Daryl for what he did--Trying to kill them."
"No... no, I get it--He wanted to end things before anyone else got hurt--I wanted to end things, and I don't blame him for not carin' about the innocents in there when the Saviors never cared about the innocent people with us... No, I don't blame him, I just pray he has more patience in the future."
"That'd be a miracle." Carl scoffs
She breathes a laugh "Ay, it would be." She looks at him, eyebrows frowning together "Carl, yer dad's not lettin' go of this fight--He want Negan's head, and I don't fault him for it... He doesn't want to try and find peace with the Saviors after its all said and done... I know ye wanted me to try and convince him, but I don't think it's goin' to happen, boyo."
He sighs as he looks down, swallowing thickly he mummers "There's still time--It's not over yet." He nods a little "There's still a chance."
She watches Rick and Daryl walk their way "Yeah... a chance."

Y/n left with Rick early in the morning to join Maggie's people outside the walls, keeping an eye out for the Saviors.
Neither of them said much, they were still tired from the attack at Alexandria, it left them drained emotionally, this war was taking its toll on them more and more every day.
She didn't want to bring up Carl's desire for a peaceful end so early in the morning, when they were both barley alive, but she knew she had to try and talk about it with him again, at least once before they went back to Hilltop.
Y/n hangs her hand out the window as they head down the road, moving her hand as the wind blows against her.
Rick glances at her, a smile tugging at his lips seeing her looking so peaceful, her eyes shut, the sun shining against her skin.
His eyes trail to her hand that was out the wind surfing the wind and his smile fades seeing the few scars that wrapped around her wrist.
He caused them from a lack of thinking, of compassion.
He remembered how much they butted heads, how for a long time he thought she hated his guts and wanted him dead... then how she went out of her way to take care of his children when his mind wasn't with him.
How she tried to help him and be there for him when he was going through something no one else understood, how she somehow knew what he needed.
If it wasn't for her mercy, he would've been alone during one of the worst times in his life... if it wasn't for his, she would still be in handcuffs, dead or run off with Niall, never turning back, never wanting to see him again after what he did.
He didn't want to think about not having her with him, making the dark times a little lighter and the good times even better.
He looks away from her, he was trying to stay strong in his beliefs, in his need to kill Negan and get revenge, but her and Carl were getting in his head, and every time he looked at her all he saw was how far mercy had gotten them.
Reaching over he grabs a CD out of the center console and puts it in the radio, needing to drown out his thoughts that were beginning to break down his stance on how to end this war.
Y/n cracks her eyes open when he turns up the radio and the music fills the car, she turns her head, narrowing her eyes at him as he smiled and hit the wheel to rhythm of the song.
He catches her look and chuckles "Come on, sing with me."
She shakes her head "No."
"Please, I ain't heard you sing in a while." He looks away from her when she doesn't respond "We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout." He sings loudly, pushing her knee
She rolls her eyes but sings along with him "We've been talkin' 'bout Jackson, ever since the fire went out."
"I'm goin' to Jackson, I'm gonna mess around. Yeah, I'm goin' to Jackson. Look out Jackson town." He sends a playful wink her way
She rolls her eyes as she turns to face him properly "Well, go on down to Jackson, go ahead and wreck your health. Go play your hand you big-talkin' man, make a big fool of yourself. Yeah, go to Jackson; go comb your hair." She ruffles his curls
He grins at her "Honey, I'm gonna snowball Jackson."
"See if I care." She waves him off
"When I breeze into that city, people gonna stoop and bow."
"Ha." She scoffs
"All them women gonna make me, teach 'em what they don't know how. I'm goin' to Jackson, you turn-a loose-a my coat." He points a finger at her "'Cause I'm goin' to Jackson."
She slaps his hand down "Goodbye, that's all she wrote. But they'll laugh at you in Jackson, and I'll be dancin' on a Pony Keg. They'll lead you 'round town like a scolded hound. With your tail tucked between your leg. Yeah, I'll go to Jackson, you big-talkin' man. And I'll be waitin' in Jackson, behind my Japan Fan."
"Well now, We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout, We've been talkin' 'bout Jaskcon, ever sine the fire went out, I'm goin' to Jackson, and that's a fact. Yeah, we're goin' to Jackson, ain't never comin' back."
Rick reaches out and turns the radio down, smiling widely at her "Was that so bad?" He raises an eyebrow
She rolls her eyes but shakes her head "I love you."
He takes her hand and presses a kiss to the back of it "I love you more."

Her and Rick crouched on top of their vehicle, Rick held the walkie in his hand, listening the man talking.
"If you see 'em coming, but your horn. That'll start the handoff. Stick to the plan, don't engage."
They look to the side hearing vehicles approaching, Rick lifts his binoculars and watches the convoy as they come around the curve.
Rick passes Y/n the binoculars and is quick to jump down, placing his hand in front of the wheel.
She watches the Saviors as they go by, she sees Simon and Dwight in a vehicle but none of the others in the rest stick out, but when she looks in the Dodge Charger that was bringing up the rear she recognizes who's driving it--
"It's Negan, at the very back." She says
"Get in." Rick orders.
"What?" She looks down and sees Rick already inside the car, she's quick to jump down when he starts it "What are you doing? Hit the horn?" She opens the door and gets in
"I'm goin' after him." He says through his teeth as she speeds off
Her eyes widen "Remember how ye and Daryl had that pissin' match 'cause he wanted to go off plan? What makes this any different? Daryl went off plan, and what happened?"
"We can do this-I'm doing this." He glances at her
She shakes her head "Ye just won't learn, will ye?"
He looks away from her and the conversation dies between them, she glares out the window, hoping he didn't get them or any of their people killed with this stunt.
They followed the Saviors into a town, Rick mapped where they were going and found an alley that crossed their path.
He sped down it as Saviors passed by, Y/n grips her seat realizing what he was planning on doing.
She closes her eyes as he t-bones Negan, knocking Negan out of the convoy, and following after him as the Saviors up ahead stopped.
Negan sped out onto a different road, Rick on his tail.

The chases ended when Rick hit Negan and his car flipped and they smashed into a light post.
Y/n's nails were digging into the door, sucking on her teeth angrily as she glared ahead of her.
"Are you all right?" Rick asks as he snatches his gun from the back seat
"Yes." She hisses
He nods and jumps out without another word, firing at the overturned car.
Y/n shakes her head as she yanks her seatbelt off "Mercy we tell him, and he takes that as 'I should do Grand Theft Auto stunts'." She grumbles as she gets out with her gun, following after her half-cocked husband.
She sees the walkers coming their way as Rick kept firing, raising her gun she shoots all the ones she could see, but she knew they would be crowded in before long, she just hoped Rick realized that before it was too late.
Looking in front of her she sees Rick walking past two walkers like they didn't exist as he reloaded, following Negan who ran inside a building.
Rick fired at him and rushed in, Y/n ran after him.
Inside she saw Rick firing at Negan as he ran deeper into the dark building, Rick didn't hesitate to follow, Y/n growls in annoyance as she runs after them.
She skids around a corner and sees Negan at the top of a staircase, Rick tried to shoot him but his Python was out.
Negan laughs down at him "Hey, prick. You are out of bullets."
Rick pulls his hatchet from his belt, glare unmoving.
Negan grins as he gestures him forwards "Come on up."
Y/n glances behind them hearing the groans of the dead filling the building, she tenses.
She wanted to strive for mercy like Carl wanted them to, but with the dead filling in, Saviors surely tracking them, she didn't want to stay here any longer than they had to, she didn't want Rick in danger.
Raising her gun she fires at Negan, he jumps out of the way with the grace of a cannon ball and crashes through the old, rotten railing. It falls apart, leaving him hanging above a huge hole in the floor, calling for his bat as it fell.
Rick rushes up the steps and goes to where Negan was dangling.
"Oh, you asshole." Negan grunts
Rick raises his hatchet and goes to bring it down on his fingers, but Negan lets go.
Y/n fires at him as he falls but all she hears is the thud of him hitting the ground somewhere below.
She looks at Rick "We need to go." She hisses
He shakes his head as he rushes down the steps "If you want to leave, go--I'm endin' this."
"I'm not goin' without ye." She shakes her head, ignoring the look he shot her as she followed after him.