6 Months later

Honey suddenly jumped up startled from her fractured sleep, eyes puffy and a light sheen of sweat drenching her from a terrible nightmare, she rolled over while apologizing softly to Sherry when she nearly fell out of the bed in shock.

Negan's rising star had been banished from her usual spot in his room, her behavior the last few days had almost been too much for him to tolerate, and Sherry had mercifully offered her sanctuary.

Not wanting to disturb the doe-eyed brunette any further with her biting anxiety, she hastily got dressed and padded downstairs to check what was happening, the sanctuary had been in a dizzying dissaray this week, most of the men had left very early that morning, leaving only a scant guard on the fence and Simon in charge, and trying to converse with him had been increasingly difficult, maybe he was jealous, Negan seemed more interested in her world than his, afterall, she sat between Dwight and him, Gavin now further down the table as she had been gifted with the Kingdom's run, but she had earnt her newfound reputation as a brutal bitch with a shot like Annie Oakley the hard way, headshots arn't like orgasms, you can't fake one.

She had still searched for her leader, a little sliver of hope in her chest as she peeked around the door, finding it empty bar Amber quickly shuffling into her clothes, and she had asked Simon for his whereabouts, but he had told her not to worry and dismissed her offer to help, everyone was on eggshells around her, they all knew how hard her loss had hit her.

She stalked to the Cafeteria like a ravening wolf, lonely and desolate, and she begrudged her leader leaving her when she needed him the most, everyone she passed keeping their heads low and gazes averted, her rifle jingling under her purposeful steps, before she took her familiar seat in the back corner and began scoffing down bread and soup, picking at a few waffles with a wrinkled nose, they had been generous with the syrup, the kitchen staff knew how much she loved it, and last week she couldn't get enough of them, the craving almost insatiable.

But the sudden pounding sound of gunshots echoed through the almost empty sanctuary, like far-off firecrackers as everyone froze for a second before darting down under cover or scurrying away, only the weak and old remained.

Honey jumped into action, tipping over a big glass water jug and nearly choking on a piece of bread as she pulled out her revolver and shouted at the kitchen staff to hide and grab the knives.

Her first thought was to get the children to safety, then check on Sherry and her newfound friends.

She bolted through the corridors, tripping over steps and realizing it sounded like the gunfire was centralized towards the West Wing, and she skidded over the wet floors before frantically rapping on the nursery door.

"Let me in, are you okay? It's me!" Mandy, the resident nurse opened the door quickly, the children huddling in the corner. "Is anyone hurt?"

Mandy shook her pale head as she gripped the door handle, too frightened to speak. "You got any weapons on you?" Honey breathed, checking the corridor for any interlopers.

After Mandy uttered a few frantic no's, Honey sighed and held out her Rifle, almost feeling like she was offering up her left arm, but the thought of leaving a timid woman and children defenseless assuaged her reluctance. "Do you know how to use this?"

"I...I shot a BB before."

The exasperated brunette scrunched her eyes in vexation. "Same basic concept...It's already loaded, hold the stock in your shoulder, prepare for the recoil, this bitch kicks a lot harder than any BB, anyone comes in here and you kill them. Cover your corners and block the door with the tables, don't come out until one of us calls for you".

Mandy gingerly took the rifle in her clammy hands, fresh pearl-like tears streaming down her face, but a fresh burst of gunfire made Honey push her roughly into the room before she ran as fast as her legs could carry her up to the third floor.

Damn it Negan, I told you this was a trap, they wanted this place empty!

"Sherry! Amber! Girls, it's me! Open up, were being attacked" Honey pounded on the door with her furious fists, becoming increasingly worried and incensed at the silence.

"Hey! Open up! Sher, hurry the fuck up!" After waiting for one torturous minute Honey took a single step back and kicked like a Bronco at the door, cracking the wood savagely as It flung open, expertly checking the corners and holding her revolver steady.

Her eyes narrowed when she saw Sherry, Frankie, Tanya and Rosie huddled together in the corner, ripped tights and broken heels all around.

"What the fuck's going on, why didn't you o-"

Anya walked into the corner of her peripheral vision, holding a little snub-nosed revolver to Amber's head, her hand grabbing her long blond hair.

She would have never expected it from the timid little kitchen girl, the mouse had fangs.

Honey circled her like a shark to ensure that Anya's back was towards the open door, Amber sobbing rivers of black mascara down her cheeks, snot bubbles forming in her nose.

"What the FUCK you think your doin' Anya? Let her go and put the gun down." Honey growled, seething anger leaking into her clenching gut.

"Shut up! Just SHUT UP! If it wasn't for you, me and Gus would have never have been in those cell's, they beat us, played music for us ALL DAY! Y-you don't know what it's like!"

Honey took a step closer as Anya gripped Amber's hair tighter, adding extra pressure to her trigger.

She calculated her chances of making the shot, at this proximity she had good odds. But she could never live with herself if she killed Amber by mistake, she knew HE could never live with her if she did that. He would think it was all on purpose, like how a male lion rids the lioness of her cubs before taking over the pride, all this stress must have been bad for the baby, his baby...their baby, the news had hit her like a tidal wave, and it couldn't have come at a worst time, she was still suffering terribly.

"Anya, love. If you put the gun down now you can walk away from this, there's nobody here to stop you...I won't. I'll give you your medicine and let you leave" Honey lied, her splintered tooth biting into her lip to stop her smiling at the thought of blowing Anya's head off.

"NO! I'm not leaving until he's dead...that's what we came back for! I know he'll come here soon, he can watch one of you DISGUSTING whore's die before I KILL HIM!"

The trembling mouse shakily pointing the gun screeched, covering Amber's face with spit and laughing when Tanya sobbed and shielded her eyes.

Honey smiled at her friends, nodding once at Sherry to reassure her it would all be alright.

"He's not even here Anya...and what do you mean we?" Honey tilted her head, brow cocked, her eyes widening at the leaked information.

"Diego found Gus in the cells...he told him about what happen's here, about how bad it is...about the iron...about EVERYTHING. Diego has a brother, Miguel...he's here too...so's his people. There's twelve of us, enough for a chance...he knew your husband couldn't resist chasing us, HE KNEW he'd take most of his men to find us...we can have a better life with Miguel and Diego, this place is hell, YOU are in hell. You're a demon"

Diego... the tall, dark and handsome Latino with eyes like obsidian, Honey had been instrumental in taking over his little community no less than three weeks ago, she had simply stood by and watched as Negan killed his best friend with Lucille, and then chastised her leader for offering Diego and his people a place at the sanctuary, he thought he was doing them a favor, more worker bees for the hive, their community was crumbling, and their members consisted of mostly the elderly and weary looking women, but Honey knew when the latino watched him reign down every blow on his friends head with dead, glassy eyes and balled fists, that he would be a danger to reside within these walls, but he paid her no heed, and now she was picking up the broken pieces.

Honey took a step forward towards Anya, trying to get her to back out of the door and further away from the girls. But she knew Anya and Gus didn't have the smarts to do this, even with the help of another community, her cogs whirred and the words mole and double agent sprang to mind, this couldn't have been done on their own.

"How the fuck did you all manage this Anya? How did Diego's brother even know where he was? Or where to meet you when you escaped?"

"SHUT UP! It doesn't matter. All that matter's is you and him DIE! Your disgusting...YOUR ALL disgusting!"

"To think about what I sacrificed for you Anya...for Gus...this is how you repay me? You're calling me disgusting for making a choice that saved your life?" Honey stormed as Anya's words added fuel to her fire.

"I NEVER ASKED for your help! I DIDN'T WANT your help! I HATE YOU"

"One last chance Anya, I don't want to kill you, but I WILL."

"Your SICK! I LOVE Gus, and he loves me. You don't know what love is! Ever since you came he's had nothing but trouble, you've ripped us apart...Diego is up on the roof now, just waiting for your man to come back...then bang! I'll take away from you what you took from me!...I'm glad you lost your baby...it would have been as sick as you and him, now he's got this bitch pregnant, you're stale old news now"

Anya prodded the gun in Honey's direction, waving it threateningly, but the stoic brunette who ghosted her hand over her stomach didn't flinch, numb and cold to everything but unbridled hate.

A little switch clicked inside her, and suddenly she didn't feel anymore. Anya's words didn't register in her ears, all she heard was a faint booms somewhere off in the distance.

You wanna play you fuckers, I'll show you what playtime is.

She hated Anya at that moment, she hated her sniveling, the way her little eyes welled up with pitiable tears, the way her voice trembled, the way she held the revolver, the way she used Amber as a meat shield, too cowardly to offer up her own chest as protection.

Honey's eyes darkened, if that was at all possible. Her heartbeat quelled and she thought about all the wrongs that had ever been done to her. All the pain, all the heartbreak, all the drudgery. How Rick turned his back to her even after giving her up, how Michonne put the gun to her head, how Daryl told her to rot in hell, how Gus used her to get Anya her medicine, how grease mop punched past her in the kitchen, how Morton smashed her head into the side of the truck, how Dwight fed her dog food, how Negan never said those words back to her, how Greg Chalmers put chewing gum in her hair when she was five, how Alexis Hattersley poured milk onto her lap when she was thirteen.

And she snapped.

She held a breath and blinked slowly, firing off a single shot into Anya's head, sending her flying backwards as a red mist painted the ceiling and Amber's face, she lowered her smoking chrome and tilted her head to regard her handiwork, scoffing at Anya's corpse as Simon ran into the room, panting and cradling an Automatic Rifle in his arms, speechless at her destruction.

"Sherry. Here's a gun" Honey flatlined, kicking the gun out of Anya's cooling fingers and resting it on the back of the sofa for Sherry who nodded her head frantically, holding Amber tight as she sobbed into her chest.

"Barricade the front door with the sofa's and tables then take everyone into your room, block that door with the bed. If anybody tries to come in, don't negotiate...kill them...Simon, there's eleven more of them. They were watching us the whole time, they waited until our men were gone and they've hit us when were light. It's Diego and Gus, and Diego's fuckin' brother Miguel. You need to get the women and children to the safe rooms, split your men up into two groups to each take a wing of the Sanctuary, pincer formation, I'm going after that fucker on the roof." Honey spoke cooly, too controlled, surveying Anya's fallen body with disdain and splashing her boot tip in the big puddle of blood on the floorboards.

"Where's my husband?" She added, turning her head slowly to the side to watch Simon as he looked at her with an open mouth.

"I've radioed him, he's twenty minutes away"

Honey nodded her head and patted Simon's chest before stalking up the stairs to the roof, eyes heavy with the promise of violence, clutching her stomach, too empty, too hollow.

She wasn't born a murderer, but she was born for this world, it used to scare her how much she fit in with this new brutality, but she never thought she would enjoy it.