I found myself getting very emotional writing that last chapter, and then again in this one.
I hope you enjoy. Thank you for all your support and reviews this far! I can't believe this is chapter 40! I'm certain that this is my best story yet!
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Sky took one last look at the man she loved and squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't watch him die, but she couldn't bring herself to leave him either.
Moments later a gun shot rang out across the compound and Sky let out a loud sob, unable to even open her eyes at this point as tears streamed down her face.
She felt like her heart had been torn into pieces. How was she going to go on without him? She had to bring two beautiful babies into this world, how was she going to do that as a widow?
"Rick what the hell!?" Daryl yelled and Sky opened her eyes, wondering what was going on. She looked to Rick to see his gun pointing beyond Negan, and a stray walker lay dead on the ground. Immediately her eyes went to her husband to find he was still alive, albeit in very bad shape from his wounds.
"I can't Daryl… I just can't" Rick sighed. "You saw me after Lori brother, I can't do that to her" he said as he nodded towards Sky. "Hell she is pregnant, she needs him. He may be an asshole, but he is a father too. I can't deny him that, but more importantly I can't deny those babies that".
"You sure about this?" Michonne asked him.
"Not really, but I'm not okay with the alternative either. No matter what he has done, I can't take a father away from those babies, and a husband away from his wife, not when she needs him the most. She certainly can't give birth alone, what happens if she goes the same way Lori did, what will happen to the babies then?" Rick reasoned.
"People aint gonna be too happy about this. You know that right?" Daryl said.
"For all we know he won't even live past the end of the day" Rick told his friends. Turning to Sky, who was still standing there in shock with tears streaming down her face, he began to speak to her again.
"I need your word that if by some miracle you can save him, that you will get him far away from here. We don't ever want to see him again. You got me? Or next time I won't be so merciful" Rick told her sternly.
"You have my word. We just want to live in peace, I swear" Sky sobbed.
"If I give you back your weapons will you try and kill us?"
"No. I promise. I don't even care about the weapons. Just leave me my knife. I won't cause any trouble, neither will he" Sky reassured them.
"He aint in any state to do shit" Daryl said as he eyed Negan. "Can't believe you're doing this… after everything" he said to Rick.
"Neither can I" he said as he watched Sky kneel down in front of a weary and injured Negan as she cupped his face and kissed him gently. "Michonne, round up everyone, get their supplies loaded and anyone that wants to join our community they can.
Anyone still loyal to him can stay behind with nothing" he said, and she nodded in agreement before walking off to gather everyone.
"Thank you Rick… thank you" Sky sobbed, still unable to believe that he had spared Negan's life.
"You can thank me by keeping your word" he growled.
"You got it, once I fix him up we will be long gone" she assured him as she helped Negan to his feet and took him towards the infirmary. Luckily as she arrived there they weren't quite done clearing it out and she managed to grab a few supplies.
