⌜ chapter twenty-three ⌟

"What the hell were you thinking bringing him here?" Dean questions as he looks down at his younger sister.

"That we're running out of options." MJ tells him. "The Governor may be dead, but how long is it gonna be before another group wants us dead? Or until any of our old enemies find us again and everyone we care about is in danger because of us?"

"So, your solution is Satan himself?"

"I'm standing right here."

"Shut up." The siblings snap as they look over at Lucifer.

"Look..." MJ sighs as she turns back to her brother. "Do I want to trust Lucifer? Hell no, and I don't trust him. But we don't have any other options here. And Jack said himself that he killed Meg and the other demons who let him out. He told him how to go back. Jack and I... We can do this. I'm asking you, big brother, to trust me. I get the risk, I do. But do you honestly see any other way out of this? Because I don't, not this time. And I gotta be honest, I'm tired, Dean. And not the kind of tired that you can sleep off."

"It's not trusting you that I have a problem with." Dean tells her. "I'd be trusting Lucifer with you and Jack — the same guy who possessed Sam to kill his own brother."

"That's not exactly—"

"No one wants your input." The brunette looks at the archangel, and he narrows his eyes at her.

"Do you really think that you and Jack can do this?" Dean asks, and she nods.

"I do." She sighs. "But even if we can't... We have to at least try. What kind of people would we be if we didn't?"

He nods as he studies her face. "Trusting you has always been the easy part. It's watching you stick your neck out​ that I have a hard time with." He says, and she smiles.

"But I always come back. Haven't I proven that yet?" She asks, and he nods.

"Okay."

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Matt asks, and MJ looks at him. "Alone."

"Yeah." She nods, and the pair head up to the catwalk.

"I know that you don't exactly have to run anything by me anymore, but... We've got two kids in there who need us both." He says, and she nods.

"I know that. They're my biggest reason for doing everything that I do." She tells him.

He looks out at the sky where the sun is setting. "What if... What if you..."

"I'm coming back. One way or another." She says as she steps forward and makes him look back at her. "I promise. You're not just my ex-husband, or the father of my children. You're the first man that I ever loved, and you'll always be my best friend. And I promise you that I am coming back. I know that I screwed up before, but this is not the same thing."

He nods, and she reaches up and wipes the tears from his cheeks. "I still need you."

"I know. And I still need you." She says. "And I need you to promise me something."

"Anything."

"When Jack and I set this right...and the world is just a little less screwed to hell...ask that poor girl out on a real date." She says, and he laughs as he runs his hand down his face.

"You know?"

"About you and Jo?" She nods. "I've seen the way that you two look at each other. I've been distracted, but I'm not blind."

"We've both been trying to keep our distance from each other." He shakes his head. "It felt like a betrayal to you."

MJ smiles. "If you're happy, and she's happy, then I'm happy for you." She tells him, and he smiles at her.

"I love you."

"I love you too." She says, and he hugs her.

Matt goes back into the prison, but MJ looks out at what little light is left in the sky. She hears footsteps behind her, but she doesn't turn to see who it is.

"It's getting dark out here." Daryl says, and she nods.

"Yeah. You know, I think that's something I might actually miss if we do fix all this." She tells him. "Being able to get away from the city lights. But I guess there's always the farm."

"Do you really think this'll work?" He asks, and she turns to face him.

"I hope so." She nods. "As screwed up as things were, I really miss the world without these damn walkers. I miss being able to be...better."

"I'm not sure there's anyone out there better than you." He says, and she smiles.

"So, uh... Things have been pretty hectic lately." She says, and he nods. "We haven't really had a minute alone since that day outside the other cellblock. Well, besides that one moment in my cell before Beth showed up. She has real crappy timing,"

"Little bit." He looks down.

"Not regretting any of it, are you?" She asks. "Now that you've seen...all of who I am?"

"We still talking about your past?" He asks, and she laughs.

"Yes, you ass." She says, and he smirks as he looks back at her.

"I don't regret a thing." He says. "Ain't anything to regret when it comes to you."

MJ moves closer to him, and he looks down at her as he pushes her hair away from her face. She rests her hands on his sides as he leans down and presses a rough, passionate kiss to her lips. She's left slightly breathless when he pulls back, resting his forehead against hers for a moment.

"I really hope I remember you, Ponch." She whispers, and he kisses her again.

—

MJ takes a deep breath as she looks at the picture that she has of her daughter in her hand, it's the only picture that she has from after the outbreak and she's hoping she can keep it. It's her favorite picture that anyone's ever taken of Ellie. And it's one of the few things to come out of all this that she doesn't want to lose if she and Jack are successful.

She slips the picture into her back pocket and then heads into the common area where everybody else is waiting. MJ stops in front of Jr. and Ellie, and they both look up at their mom.

"Whatever happens, you two stick with your dad and you stay together. Do you understand me?" She asks, and they both nod. "I love you, my babies."

"Love you too, Mom." Jr. says as he hugs her. "You better survive this."

"And don't get arrested either." Ellie says, and the group laughs.

"I'll do my best." MJ smiles as she wraps her arms around her and places a quick kiss to the top of her head. "Hey, Carl."

"Yeah?" He looks at her.

"You look out for my little girl. Or I'm coming back just for you." She tells him, and he smiles.

"I'll keep her safe." The younger boy promises, and she chuckles.

MJ walks over to her parents then and hugs them, and neither of them want to let go of her. She smiles as she looks at her brothers.

"You look out for this one." She tells Jess, and the blonde laughs as they both look back up at Sam.

"Do me a favor?" Adam asks.

"You mean besides save the world?"

"Make sure you survive so that I actually get the chance to get to know you a little better." He says, and she smiles.

"Tell you what, I'll survive just to drive you crazy." She tells him, and he laughs.

"Looking forward to it."

"We all clear on what we're doing?" MJ asks as she looks around.

"We make it back, and everyone heads for the farm." Hershel says. "Rick looks for those who aren't here now. Dale, T-Dog..."

She looks at Carol. "Do whatever I have to until Daryl and Merle make it to me and Sophia to get us away from Ed." She says, and MJ nods.

"Hey, Dixon?" MJ gets the attention of both men, but she's looking at Merle. "You're getting a second chance and your hand back. Do me a favor, don't screw it up."

"You got it, señorita." He says, and she smirks.

"We'll find you as soon as everything's been reset and we're back." Cas says, and she looks at him and Gabriel.

"I'm trusting you, Gabe." She tilts her head slightly. "On a scale of one to ten, how much am I gonna regret it?"

"No faith." He shakes his head.

"You haven't earned it yet." She says and then turns to look at Rick.

He takes a deep breath as she walks over to him. "You be careful out there, kid." He says, and she smiles.

"It's been fun, sorta." She says, and he smirks. "I'll see you on the other side, brother." She raises her fist, and he bumps the side of his to hers.

Jack walks away from Dana and then goes to hug Cas. It's a slightly awkward exchange as Cas still has trouble with expressing emotions, but they could still see the love.

"You ready?" MJ asks as Jack walks over to her, and he nods.

"You're not gonna hug your father?" Lucifer asks, and they all look at him.

"I just did." Jack tells him, and MJ chuckles.

"That's my boy." She says with a smirk, and he looks at her with a proud smile on his face. It reminds her of the innocence that he had when this all started. "Alright. Let's do this."

He holds his pinky out to her, and she chuckles as she wraps hers around it. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" He asks.

"I trust you, hun. Always have." She tells him, and he nods.

Jack closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as MJ's jaw tightens. She looks at Daryl, and he nods once. She sends him a small smile, and then she and Jack both disappear. The rest of the group looks around at each other.

Matt walks over to his two kids as Dean pulls Dana closer to him and Addy. John looks from his wife to his three sons as Sam wraps his arm around Jessica. Ellen and Jo move closer to each other.

Hershel's daughters surround him as Glenn walks over to them. Carl walks over to Rick, who takes Judith from his son's arms. Carol wraps her arms around her daughter, and the two Dixons exchange an uneasy look. Ash and Pamela look at the angels, not sure what to expect now. Bobby then glances at Michonne as she shifts uncomfortably.

"Okay, I'll ask." Bela says, and everyone looks at her. "What if they stop​ the outbreak and none of us remembers anything? Those who were dead before are dead again? And we all end up screwed over?"

"None of us will know the difference." Dean tells them. "It'll all just be exactly like it was before the outbreak happened."