Hello all! Thank you so much for all your love and support. As promised, here is the second update for the day to celebrate our 100,000 reads! Hope I didn't make you wait too long!!!

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Jo

I tried to sleep that night, I really did, but I was too keyed up. There were too many unknown factors and I had spent too long waiting for this chance. We were going to fight. After tossing and turning for several hours I finally got up and threw some gear in Daryl's backpack just in case this ended up being a longer trip than we anticipated. Once that was done I glanced at the clock and winced when I saw it was only a little after three in the morning. Sighing I got dressed, putting on my shoulder rig as well as the throwing knives that strapped to my thigh. I tucked the gun I had taken from The Savior woman I had killed into the holster under my arm. Then I went out into the living room and threw knives at the dart board until I heard movement upstairs. 

I walked to the board and pulled out my knives, tucking them away. I stepped to the couch and scooped up my leather jacket, shrugging it on and swung the backpack over one shoulder. I was ready. The only thing missing was my kukri on my waist and Daryl at my back. We were going to get the later and if I saw Dwight, I was going to get my kukri back, no matter what it took. He didn't get to live. 

I glanced around the basement feeling a little like I might never see it again. It was odd, I had never felt this way before. Maybe it was because no place else had ever really felt like a home before. But no matter what happened things were going to be different when I came back. Either I was coming back with Daryl or not at all. I no intention of half-assing what might end up being my one and only chance to get him back. 

Everyone was awake upstairs. Gabriel came over and took Judith while we all piled out to an SUV that was parked at the gate. I climbed into the cargo area so the six of us could all ride together. There was no reason to take more than one vehicle. Rosita wouldn't look at me, and her shoulders and back were tense the entire way drive to the Hilltop. I shook my head, wondering if she thought I was going to attack her or something crazy like that. I took a brief power nap in the car on the way over. It wasn't much, but the brief doze helped me feel a little sharper. Our plan was to fight, but first we had to be diplomatic. First we had to convince others to fight with us. I used to be good at diplomatic, good at talking to people, I lost that somewhere along the way. 

We parked a little ways down the hill and walked the rest of the way so the people on watch would be able to see it was us and not feel threatened. Rick and Michonne led the way, I brought up the rear, keeping my eyes on the horizon to make sure we weren't being followed or watched. Deciding to go to war was all well and good but it wouldn't do us any good if the Savior's figured that out before we had a chance to organize our allies. 

We walked through the open gates, and I couldn't help glancing over my shoulder watching out for any potential threats. Maggie came out to greet us with a warm, welcoming smile on her face. Rick walked up to her and pulled her into a tight hug. Tears were swimming in Maggie's eyes when she pulled back. 

"You're okay?" Rick asked in concern. 

Maggie gave him a gentle smile. "I'm okay, the babies okay, all of us." Maggie said with certainty, resting her hand on her still flat stomach. I could see how worried she was about Rick. I didn't blame her, from what I remembered Rick had been little better than me after it all first happened. 

"You were right," Rick said wryly. I think he could tell she was worried as well and wanted to put her at ease. "Right from the start. You told us to get ready to fight," he said glancing back over his shoulder at the rest of us. "I didn't listen, I couldn't. I can now," he promised. They hugged and then Michonne stepped up to hug Maggie as Enid and Sasha came down greeting and hugging everyone. 

I nodded to both Maggie and Sasha, but Enid stepped up to me. "Jo-" she started to say.

Ten feet ahead of me something in Rick's posture caught my eye. He froze, his body suddenly going tense. He wasn't watching our group, or the gate, which meant it was an issue here, within the Hilltop. I frowned and followed his line of sight, tense and ready for some kind of attack. 

It wasn't an attack however. Jesus and another man had just stepped out from one of the trailers. I nodded at Jesus and turned my gaze suspiciously to the other man. I stopped, unable to believe what my eyes were telling me. But even from this distance there was no mistaking him. My eyes ran over and over him in absolute disbelief. 

Daryl

I mouthed his name silently, but no sound came out. It was like I couldn't move. If I moved this would somehow turn into just one of the thousands of nightmares I had had since he was gone. Distantly I heard someone say my name but it wasn't him, and so I couldn't bother with figuring out who was speaking to me. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He walked towards me, his eyes locked on mine, but I couldn't read his expression. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. I didn't even know what I was thinking. It felt like my brain was going a million miles an hour and yet I couldn't have picked out a single coherent thought. 

When he was closer I tore my eyes from his gaze and looked him up and down to make sure he wasn't hurt. That he was somehow here and not hurt felt like a miracle. When I met his gaze me nodded once to let me know he was okay. I held his gaze, somehow entirely entranced by how blue his eyes were. I didn't remember them being that blue. 

Then he was right in front of me and I still hadn't moved, still hadn't reacted. I was suddenly choking on my fear that this might be dream. I closed my eyes. 

Please, don't let this be a dream. 

When I opened them tears were blinding me. He scowled, and I knew them that it wasn't a dream. In a dream there would have been a smile and a passionate kiss. In real life Daryl would scowl at me.

This was real. This was real.  

It was like I couldn't draw enough air into my lungs, and the small, rational part of my brain that had been trained to remain in control when the rest of me was falling apart was keenly aware of the fact that I was in some kind of shock. 

He reached for me, moving slowly, like he always did when he wasn't sure where I was in my head. But he didn't hesitate, he never hesitated. He just scowled down at me and pulled me into his chest. I choked on a sob as he wrapped his arms around me. He was so warm and his arms completely enveloped me. Somehow he always managed to make me feel so small and yet incredibly safe. 

I fought to hold in the sobs that were building in my chest. I felt like I had been holding back for so long. Trying to be strong, trying to do what needed to be done, trying to hold in my emotions, and suddenly I was drowning in them. 

I felt his lips brush across my forehead, and then he laid his cheek on the top of my head. "Shh," he whispered to me, his grip tightening, his voice rasped too low for anyone else to hear. "It's okay darlin'," he promised. 

I was done, I couldn't hold it in anymore, and with Daryl here, I didn't need to. I completely broke down sobbing. I clenched my fists into the back of his shirt, holding him as close as possible. He pulled back slightly and pressed his forehead against mine. I reached up and gripped the back of his neck, tangling my fingers in his hair. 

"Shh, I'm here. I ain't going nowhere," he whispered, his breath falling against my skin. I shivered in his arms and opened my eyes. He was staring at my face, his eyes running over and over it as though he were trying to memorize it. He looked as though he couldn't believe I was standing in front of him. There were tears swimming in his eyes as well, and it made me cry harder. 

He pulled me back against him and held me while I cried. It was several minutes later before I heard the others still around us, speaking in low voices together. It was only then that I remembered we weren't alone. I stiffened and sniffled. I reached up and wiped away the tears that were still on my face, still facing Daryl's chest. When I looked up at him, he was staring down at me, watching my every move. As much as I tried to regain control of my emotions I couldn't help the stupid grin that spread across my face, stretching the muscles wider than they were used to. 

This was real. 

"Hi," I said in a low voice, still feeling embarrassed for completely losing it. 

"Hey there darlin'," he responded, though he didn't look thrown at all by my meltdown. Instead, he smiled gently at me, and brushed my hair from my face with both of his hands. 

I heard movement behind us, and I finally looked up to see Rick approach. Daryl reluctantly pulled away to face Rick. He looked at Daryl in wonder and then hugged him. The others were approaching, wanting to see Daryl. I stepped further back, needing a moment to compose myself. The group must have understood because they all left me alone. I swiped at my eyes one last time before turning back. My eyes fell on Jesus who was also standing back a little ways from the group watching us. 

I glanced back at Daryl once, but he was talking quietly with Rick and Michonne. I walked over to Jesus. "Was this you?" I asked him. He was the only person I could think of that would stand a chance of getting in and out of that compound undetected that wasn't Daryl or I.  

He looked down at me and lifted his eyebrows as though to say 'who me'. 

I frowned at him suspiciously and he threw his head back and laughed. "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time," Jesus said simply. 

There was nothing I would ever be able to do to pay him back for this. I hated the idea of being indebted to anyone, but I would have given anything, everything for this. "Thank you," I said sincerely. 

He waved me off. "I told you, I owed you for what you did for us. This was the least I could do." 

I looked at him in disbelief. "No, this was way beyond...All I did was kill a handful of walker...You went there..." I shook my head, unable to believe he had actually done this.

He was staring at me like I was crazy. "It was way more than just a handful of walkers." 

I just shook my head, my eyes traveling to Daryl. "Anything I can ever do for you Jesus," I said quietly. "I owe you, and I'll have your back." I promised him. 

He just nodded, looking as though he realized he wasn't going to win this argument. 

A thought occurred to me then and I turned to face him, frowning.  "You told me it was a suicide run and I shouldn't risk it...but you did?" I scowled. 

He chuckled and shook his head. "It would have been for you, all I did was a little scouting. Nothing to dangerous. You...well you weren't exactly at your best when I stopped you, and you would have gone in there guns blazing-"

I arched a brow and glanced down at myself. 

Jesus rolled his eyes. "Well knives stabbing then," he laughed. 

I nodded, he was probably right. 

"I meant what I said though," he clarified. "This isn't all there is to you," he said gesturing to my knives. "You are kind and have a good heart. And you deserve to be happy." He turned his gaze to where Daryl was still talking to the others. 

I blushed and looked away. I had never been good at taking compliments. There was a small piece of me, a tiny spark that hoped he was right. I had always hoped that if we got through this, there would be something left other than just my knives and what I could do with them. Jesus was amazing at reading people, and incredibly intuitive. I wondered if he had somehow realized that was my biggest fear. I didn't want to be the last one standing if there was nothing left of me. I looked around at my family and realized we all felt that way. We weren't Negan, and none of us ever could be, because we weren't willing to give up that last tiny piece of ourselves. 

I turned back to Jesus and let him see how grateful I was. "Thank you," I said again sincerely. 

Jesus just nodded, and then his eyes lifted to something over my shoulder. I felt Daryl step up behind me, and I closed my eyes, savoring the sensation as he rested his hand on my lower back. I would never take such simple moments between us for granted again. 

I looked up to see everyone heading inside for a meeting with Gregory. I glanced up at Daryl and he nodded to me. I stepped up beside him and wound my fingers through his as we followed the others into the house. With every step towards the house I took a deep breath and worked to lock my emotions back away where they belonged. As much as Hilltop was our ally, Gregory was not our friend, he never had been, and I couldn't go in there as raw as I was feeling from my reunion with Daryl. 

I don't know if Daryl knew exactly what I was doing, but when he held the door for me and my face was back to being an expressionless mask he didn't look surprised. Instead, he gave my hand one last reassuring squeeze before he stepped away, putting a foot between us. We needed to show a strong, united front of capable fighters, and it wouldn't help if two of our biggest bad-asses looked like a lovesick couple of teenagers. I took one last deep breath, centering myself and focusing before I followed the others into Gregory's office. 

To say Gregory was unhappy to see us was putting it mildly. By the time we all filed in and found places to stand he was already railing at Rick. I stayed towards the back of the group with Daryl. He leaned back against the bookcase, crossing his arms over his chest. I stood next to him, close enough that I could touch him if I wanted. I rested my hands on my hips, making sure my jacket was open enough to show all of my knives.

Gregory was sitting at his desk, his eyes narrowed at Rick. "No, no way in hell, that was not the deal. You people swore you could take the saviors out and you failed. So, any arrangement we had it no done, null and void. We aren't trade partners, we aren't friends, and we never met. We don't know each other. I owe you nothing," he said coldly. Then his eyes narrowed and he pointed at Rick. "In fact you owe me for taking in the refuges, at great personal risk." 

Jesus scoffed angrily from his place near the door. His arms were crossed over his chest and I found it interesting he was standing with us, or more to the point, with Maggie, instead of with Gregory. "Oh you were very brave staying in here while Maggie, Sasha and Jo saved this place. Your courage was inspiring," Jesus mocked.

Rick looked confused at his words, his eyes flickering over to me. I swallowed as I remembered this would be the first the others heard of my ever being here. I kept my face perfectly neutral. I wasn't admitting to anything. Rick rolled his eyes at me and sighed in exasperation. I glanced over to see Carl smirking at me and shaking his head. 

Gregory narrowed his eyes at Jesus. "Don't you work for me?" he asked in a light voice, though it sounded like a threat. "Aren't we friends?" Definitely a threat. His words put me on edge and I found myself slowly tensing my muscles, preparing in case I needed to do anything. I cracked my neck and Daryl glanced at me, arching a brow. He was asking if he had missed something. I subtly shook my head, I was just on edge. 

Rick stepped up, distracting Gregory from Jesus. "Gregory. We already started this." 

Gregory spun around in his chair to glare at Rick. "You started this," he clarified, shaking his head in denial. "You, not me." 

Rick shook his head grimly. "We did. And we're going to win." 

Gregory's eyes were fearful and he looked on Rick in confusion. "These are killers," he said as though we weren't also killers. It was then that I realized, despite everything, Gregory didn't know the first thing about us. 

Rick looked back at him with a mirrored look of disbelief. "Is this how you want to live? Under their thumb with them killing your people?" 

Gregory just shook his head in denial. "So-sometimes we don't get to choose what our life looks like. Sometimes, Ricky, you have to count the blessings your have." I realized then Gregory would do whatever he had to in order to maintain control of Hilltop. No matter what it meant for his people. Before I realized it, my fingers were idly tracing the shape of the handles strapped to my thigh. 

Maggie stepped forward, breaking up the ego driven stalemate. "How many people can we spare? How many people here can fight?" 

"We?" Gregory asked in shock. "I don't even know how many people we have, Margaret?" he asked as though he couldn't remember Maggie's name. I watched Jesus tense and take half a step forward, ready to come to Maggie's aid. 

Gregory continued, either not knowing how or not bothering to read the room around him. "And does it even matter? I-I mean w-w-what are you gonna do? Start a platoon of sorghum farmers? Cause that's what we got. They grow things. They aren't going to want to fight."

Tara was standing beside me and she was practically vibrating she was so upset by his words. She stepped forward. "You're wrong," she said, shaking her head. "When people have the chance to do the right thing, they usually step up. I mean people just-"

Gregory held his hand up imperiously. "Let me stop you before you break into song, okay? And by the way, who would train all of this cannon fodder?"

"I will," Sasha called at the same time Rosita spoke up. "Give me a week."

I stepped forward. "I could."

Gregory's eyes fell to me for a minute and I glared at him, aggressively, letting him see everything I could do. His eyes quickly flickered away from me in fear. It took him a moment before he recovered and it made me smile. 

"Rhetorical!" Gregory called in a sing-songy voice. "Okay? I don't want to know. I never wanna hear another word about any of it, ever."

Rick was quickly reaching the end of his rope. He stepped forward and his voice was sharp.  "Look, would we be better off without the Saviors? Yes or no?"

"Yeah, sure, okay." Gregory agreed begrudgingly. 

"So what will you do to fix the problem?" Michonne asked stepping up and putting her fist down on his desk. 

Gregory looked back and forth between Michonne and Rick, blinking rapidly. "I didn't say we had a problem, you did. And what happens outside of my purview is outside of my purview."

Daryl pushed up off the bookcase. "What the hell man? You're either with us or you ain't. You're sitting over their talking out of both sides of your mouth," he growled angrily. 

Gregory pushed himself up to his feet, we had finally pushed him too far. It was good to see Daryl's people skills hadn't diminished. 

"I-I think I've made my position very clear. I want to thank all of you for not being here today, and not having this meeting with me, or-or being seen on your way out. In other words, go out the back."

Rick stared at him in disgust. He finally shook his head and led the way out the door. Everyone was grumbling angrily as Daryl and I brought up the rear. I glared one last time at Gregory before I stepped out the doors. He was a power hungry coward, and those were the absolute most dangerous kind. I met his gaze and he shirked back. Daryl stepped up next to me, placing a hand on my low back. He followed my gaze to where Gregory was staring at us with widen eyes. Daryl chuckled once and brushed his lips against my temple. The show of solidarity couldn't have been stronger and I could see it scared Gregory. He couldn't control us and he couldn't stop us. It made me smile as we left the office. 

We walked up to Rick. 

"Yeah well, we don't need him anyway," Daryl growled half under his breath. 

"Yeah," Rick agreed. "That's right, cause we have Maggie, Sasha and Jesus here."

"And..." Maggie started to say only to be interrupted by the door slamming open.  

I whirled towards the door, knife already in hand to see Enid standing in the open door. 

"Hey, um..." Enid started to say uncertainly as her eyes traveled to the knife in my hand. I quickly tucked it away. I didn't want to scare Enid, not when she had helped me in the past.  

"What's wrong?" Sasha asked stepping towards her. 

Sasha's voice tore Enid's attention off of me. "Nothing," Enid assured us all. "Just...come outside." 

We followed. 

Standing at the base of the stairs was a group of at least a dozen people. Maggie stepped forward. "What's going on?" she asked them.

"Hey, so if you don't remember, I'm Bertie," a middle aged woman greeted, stepping forward. "And I owe my life to you all, twice over. A bunch of us do. Enid said that you want Gregory to get us to fight the Saviors with you. Is that true?" 

Maggie nodded. "Yes." 

Looking around at these people it was obvious to me that Gregory was no longer the leader here, and Gregory was the only one who didn't know it. Every single one to the people below us was looking up at Maggie. They were looking to Maggie to lead, and she had Sasha and Jesus standing on either side of her. 

"Do you think we can win, that we really could beat  them? Us?" Bertie asked uncertainly. 

I glanced over each one of them. They all looked strong, fit, and healthy. It wouldn't take much training to turn them into soldiers. Farming had forced them all to be strong, maybe not in the way we were looking for, but in a way that could easily be turned into what we were looking for. If they only had the resolve. 

Maggie looked over the crowd, making eye contact with each and any everyone of the people standing with her. "I do," she finally told them, the sincerity in her voice undoubable. 

Bertie nodded at her words. "Well, Enid said you could show us the way. I'm ready." 

The others of the group piped up at that. 

"Me too."

"Yeah."

"Let's do it." 

"I'm in."

We left Maggie with her people then, while Sasha and Jesus walked us to the gate. Between Sasha and Maggie I had no doubt they could train the people of Hilltop to be ready. The Savior's had experience, but these people had a true will to live and be free. There was something to be said for that. 

"It's a start," Michonne said as we headed towards the gate. 

"We'll get more," Tara said with certainty. Her usual bright, upbeat attitude firmly back in place. 

"It still won't be enough," Rosita grumbled and I frowned at her. Her negative attitude wouldn't help with recruiting and if she kept it up it would be better for us to send her back home. 

"No it won't," Rick agreed, his voice dragging off thoughtfully. 

"Well," Daryl said rubbing at his chin. "If we find the right stuff, then maybe we don't need the numbers. Blow 'em up."

I turned to face him, my thoughts already running a million miles a minute with all the possibilities. "Burn them to the ground," I said. 

He nodded.  

Tara, who must have been eavesdropping, trotted up so she was walking between us. "You said there weren't just soldiers with the Saviors, that there were workers there. People who didn't have a choice."

Daryl tightened his jaw, but didn't look at her. "We gotta win," he growled resolutely. 

This was going to be a tough conversation we were going to need to have, but it didn't need to be the entire group, not just yet. As far as my understanding went, most of the people in the compound had chosen to be there in one capacity or another, and this was war...I glanced around at the others walking around us. I could almost predict which way most of their morals would fall. 

Rick stopped just inside the gate. Once more he looked tired, but this was a different type. He no longer looked beaten. "We need more hands, another group. Negan has outposts. The geography, the distance, works against us. We gotta get back. If they come looking for Daryl we need to be there."

Jesus stopped, "You don't have to get back," he assured us. "Not yet," he reached down and pulled a walkie off of his belt. "It's one of theirs, long range. We can listen in, keep track of them."

I frowned at Jesus. "So, if we're not going back, what are we doing then?" 

Jesus looked over each of us. "I think it's time I introduce you to Ezekiel," he smirked like there was a funny joke here that we didn't get. "King Ezekiel." 

I scowled up at Jesus, not understanding. "King?"

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I hope you enjoyed it! No horrible cliffhanger this time! Hopefully this way you can all get a good nights sleep! Hahaha I'm really looking forward to The Kingdom. I have several conversations already planned between King Ezekiel and Jo! I'm so excited! Thank you all for your continued support. You are the best readers ever!