Daughter of the Fallen

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life Part 2

The next day, Carl and I watched as the group that Rick and Michonne made a deal with rode into Alexandria.

As everyone unloaded, Rick and Michonne had a quiet conversation with a woman who I could only assume was the leader before Rick called me over.

I walked over and stood next to him.

"Bree, this is Jadis," he introduced. "Jadis, this is Bree, coleader of Alexandria."

Pushing away my suspicion, I held out my hand. "Thank you for working with us."

She shook my hand and looked me up and down. "You're a little young to be running a community, aren't you?"

I crossed my arms and gave her disingenuous smile. "Let's get to work, shall we?"

•••

I walked around Alexandria briskly, keeping myself busy by checking on everyone making sure my mind was distracted as Carl struggled to keep up with me.

"Bree!" he called. "Doing all of this isn't going to change how your mom-"

I cut him off by stopping. "Carl," I said impatiently. "I am trying to distract myself and it would be really great if you would let me."

He sighed and nodded and I resumed my quick pace.

•••

An hour later, Rick, Jadis, and I stood at the head of the gate watch post while the group split into two parts (half of them knelt atop the gate with us and the other half stayed on the ground) as we waited for the Saviors.

Suddenly, we heard a whistle, a signal from one of ours that Negan was close.

I checked on everyone while Rick addressed Rosita.

"Get into position," he ordered. "I'll signal you. And the wall's gonna hold?"

She nodded. "It'll hold."

I soon heard the sound of vehicles approaching, but what I heard next made my stomach churn.

"All points are covered," Eugene's voice announced. "Every contingency is already met. I come armed with two barrels of the truth. A test is upon you and I'm giving out the cheat sheet."

I watched in horror as the truck he was on stopped and he got out to face us. I tried to control my labored breathing. He couldn't be one of them.

He looked at me and Rick. "H-Hello. I come salved with the hope that it is my dropped knowledge that you heed. Your options are zero to none. Compliance and fealty are your only escape. Bottom-lining it, you may thrive or you may die. I sincerely wish for the former for everyone's sake. The jig is up and in full effect. Will you comply, Rick?" He slowly turned and looked at me. "Bree?"

I was in too much shock and was feeling too much anger to answer so Rick did for me.

"Where's Negan?" he asked, his voice also slightly shaking with anger.

Eugene's face fell for a moment before answering, "I'm Negan."

There was a long moment where you could hear a pin drop.

Finally, I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Eugene-"

"I am Negan," he repeated, clipping off each word.

My hands clenched into fists, my fingernails digging into my palms.

Rick and I exchanged a look before he gave Rosita a nod.

She pressed the button on the remote the controlled when the bombs went off and Rick and I ducked down, Rick covering me with his arm.

A moment went by and nothing happened.

Rick and I gave each other confused looks and we were about to get up when Jadis quickly got to her feet and pointed guns at us, making my heart race.

Her people also got up and pointed guns at the rest of our group.

Carl and I exchanged fearful looks.

What was going on?

A savior opened the gate and Negan got out, going over to Eugene.

Jadis allowed Rick and I to stand up.

Finally, Negan walked over to us.

"You ever hear the one about the stupid little prick named Rick who thought he knew sh*t but didn't know sh*t and got everyone that he gave a sh*t about killed? It's about you." He glanced at me. "But it was smart thinking, making her a leader. Good job."

I took a deep, shaky breath.

"You are all gonna wanna put your guns down now," he suggested.

"No one drops anything," Rick denied.

I turned to Jadis. "We had a deal."

"Tamiel came for the boat things," she explained. "Followed the ones who took. Made a better deal."

"You push me," Negan continued. "And you push me. And you push me, Rick! You just tried to blow us up, didn't you? I mean, I get me and my people. But Eugene? He's one of yours. You people are animals."

"He's not one of ours," I denied, my voice shaky.

He put up his index finger. "The universe gives you a sign and you just shove your finger right up its *ss." He laughed. "Dwight, Simon, chop chop."

I watched as they wheeled out something with a white sheet draped over it. They pulled the sheet off to reveal a coffin making me inhale sharply. They turned it upright.

Negan went and stood next to it. "So, you don't like Eugene anymore. But you guys have gotta like Sasha."

My heart rate picked up to a million beats per second. She better be okay or I swear to god...

"I do, too," he continued. He tapped on the coffin lightly. "Got her right here packaged for your convince. Alive and well. Now, I brought her so I wouldn't have to kill all of you, and not killing all of your could get complicated. See, I know there's some firepower in you, Rick, and there's a h*ll of a lot in Bree. So I'm gonna make this simple. I want all the guns you've managed to scrape up. Yep, I know about those, too. I want every last grain of lemonade you've got left. I want a person of your own choosing for Lucille. Daryl. Oh, I gotta get me my Daryl back. And the pool table and all the pool cues and chalk and I want it now, or Sasha dies. Then all of you. Probably. Come on, just because I brought her in a casket doesn't mean she has to leave in it."

When we didn't respond, he sighed. "You know what? You suck *ss, you really do. I don't wanna kill her, but that's exactly what you're gonna make me do."

"Let me see her," I demanded, desperation in my voice.

He looked at me. "I'm sorry?"

"Let me see my mom," I repeated.

He nodded. "Okay, just give me a second. I might have to get her up to speed. She can't hear sh*t inside this thing." He knocked on the coffin. "Sash, you're not gonna believe this crap."

He opened the top to let her come out.

And she did.

As a walker.