The Replacement

Part Thirty-eight

Warning: violence, angst, threat of murder, and something satisfying at the end.

***************

Negan begrudgingly leaves your side after an hour and you find yourself alone in the bedroom now in a kind of solitary confinement with a guard at the door, in completely different house than the kids. You were grasping at straws, feeling yourself going stir-crazy at not knowing what the hell was going on outside. You weren't sure where the kids were, whether they were safe, weren't sure if your husband was doing well, and what made it even worse was not knowing the whereabouts of your daughter.

Negan himself wasn't faring so well either, Ezekiel had chewed his ass out majorly over the loss of the map; making sure to drill it into Negan's mind exactly what he thought of him. Knowing he had fucked up and that it had cost them dearly, Negan could only think of one direction in which the situation could be save and he knew it wasn't going to be one you would approve of.

Whilst the two of you were battling the inner turmoil against yourselves, unbeknownst to all, Darly, Connie, Carol and Maggie were secretly making their way into Alexandria via the sewerage tunnels.

*****

"So...", the Warden remarks with an arche brow as he stands up from behind his desk. "You gotta name for me...?"

Negan silently stares at him for a moment, finally a broad smirk crosses his lips. "Yes...", he remarks flashing him a toothy grin.

You slowly stirred awake at the loud commotion sounding from outside when suddenly a guard burst into your room. "Get up!", he commands abruptly.

"What's happen?", you scowl as he roughly pulls your arms behind your back to bind them and begins directing you out of the room.

"Don't ask questions just move!", he growls, pushing you to move faster. As you exited the building, that's when you notice that everyone was being dragged out of their sleep and marched towards the windmill.

"Y/N...?!", Ezekiel calls out, attempting to pull free himself when noticing you were restrained and being led by two guards in the same direction.

Nearing the windmill, everyone was near blinded by spotlights being turned on directly onto them. One the lights moves away and the Warden steps out into it, "there's a traitor in our midst...!", he loudly declares, stopping dead in front of Ezekiel. "Someone who thinks his above the rules."

For a split second, you thought he was referring to Ezekiel. That was until he turns to look to the side, and your heart instantly drop to your stomach when a restrained Negan was being led in front of everyone.

"This prisoner admitted to spearheading a rebellion", the Warden remarks, staring in Negan's direction now. Turning his attention back toward crowd, he continues, "any co-conspirators will be given the benefit of the doubt..." Heart racing, you stood helpless as he loudly read out what was clearly your husband's dead sentence. "I trust they were not acting of their own freewill. So, only he...", the Warden points in Negan's direction, "will be punished!"

Negan regards the Warden with a stoic look, spitting out the blood that had been pooling in his mouth at the Warden's feet in a last act of defiance. "But it's important that you're all here to see...", the Warden continues unfazed. "To remember...!"

"No! This is not happening! You could not lose your husband! Your daughter could not lose her father!"

Managing to break loose, you run forward as you cry out pleadingly, "Negan!" You don't make it far unfortunately as the guards intercepts you before reaching him.