Hi Everyone! I hope you enjoy the update! Somehow this ended up being the longest update I have ever put out. So settle in!

Happy Reading!

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Jo

My hands were tied so tightly behind me I wasn't able to maneuver them around in front. It was a vulnerable position and it made all the dark places in the back of my head fight for control. Being stuck in the dark, unable to defend myself made my heart thunder in my ears and my breathing kicked up.

I tried to get my legs through so I would at least be able to defend myself even if my hands were still tied. It felt like I was about to rip my shoulders out of their sockets. The pain kept me going, kept me able to think beyond the feeling of being restrained. I twisted my wrists and pulled as hard as I could but the zip ties wouldn't yield.

After an hour of thrashing I laid down on the floor panting, completely exhausted. Exhausting myself was a dangerous thing to do, but I honestly wouldn't have been able to rest any other way. Just like back in that cell.

I laid on my side, my cheek pressed against the cool concrete floor as I worked to regain control of my breathing. I counted my breaths until I finally fell asleep.

I slept hard, too hard. The exhaustion trapped me in my nightmares. Waking with my arms restrained made panic stop my breath in my throat. I fought to catch my breath but it was like my chest weighed a thousand pounds and I wasn't strong enough to push it up for the next breath. My heart thundered in my ears as a weak, choked sound came from my throat.

I sat up but it was so dark I couldn't see anything. I didn't know where the walls were or what was around me. There was no light coming from under the door even. I shivered. My skin was damp with sweat and it was colder now than it had been earlier.

I shivered again and frowned into the darkness. Something had woken me. I heard a noise in the dark. The quiet scrape of a key. I forced my legs to move and struggled up to my feet with no hands. My legs and thighs were burning from the sets I had manically forced myself through. I wasn't in shape the way I used to be. My body had grown soft. Complacent.

The lock clicked and the door opened slowly. Someone slid a small lantern across the floor and into the room. I blinked painfully in the light. Spots danced around the edges of my vision, but I forced my eyes to remain open so I was ready for whatever happened next.

Several agonizing seconds dragged by and there was nothing. No one. Whoever was there was giving me a chance to adapt to the light. It was...polite. The thought felt strange, like it didn't belong in this place. This was a place of violence and blood. I had figured that out right away. The only person I had in here was Doctor Carson, but he had already seen me. This felt different. 

The door slowly opened and I blinked away the light flashing at the edges of my vision to see Dwight in the doorway. He met my gaze for a moment and held it. When I didn't move right away he glanced over his shoulder nervously. He bit his lip uncertainly and finally stepped in and closed the door. 

It was brave of him.

I don't now if he realized how brave. He may have helped the group and betrayed Negan, but this man was not my friend. He was my enemy. I knew that with every primal piece of my soul. He had hurt Daryl, tortured him, tried to break him. I closed my hands into fists and pulled against the zip ties once more. Something slick and warm was coating my fingers, but with an enemy close and me so vulnerable it didn't matter.

The fact that he didn't seem to notice his eminent danger made me curious how he had managed to survive this long. His arms were full and he set the pile of items down on the floor, completely ignoring me. He pulled out a towel and shoved it along the bottom of the door and I realized then it was to block the light from the lantern so no one in the hall would know he was in the cell with a light.

I frowned and opened my mouth to say something but he lifted his finger to his lips and shot me a disapproving look. I scowled at him. I was supposed to be the scary one here. The fact that he was treating me like he was a school teacher and I was some wayward student talking during detention was enough to jolt me from my darker thoughts and pay attention.

He motioned over his shoulder towards the closed door. I glanced at the door once more and nodded slowly to show I understood. He wanted me to keep m voice down so we wouldn't be overheard. I wondered how he had gotten past my guards without raising suspicion but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of asking. 

He watched me for a moment and his gaze turned cautious then as though he wasn't sure he should be here. I felt slightly mollified even though he didn't seem quite as frightened as I thought he should.

His hand moved to his belt and I had dropped into a defensive crouch before my mind had a chance to recognize he was going for a knife. Dwight froze. He was staring at my face, but I couldn't tear my eyes off of his hands and shoulders, waiting for an attack. My pulse was thundering in my ears so loudly it was hard to think beyond it.

He waited, holding himself completely still. After a few minutes I relaxed. Not that I was really in a position to fight, but he was waiting for me none the less. It took me another few seconds to realize he was once again trying to be polite, he was accommodating me. It didn't sit well. I finally straightened, but still kept a wary eye on him as he drew a knife from his belt.

"I'm going to cut the zip tie," he whispered.

I frowned, not quite able to take my eyes off of the knife in Dwight's hands. I swallowed and took a deep breath, fighting my body for control. I didn't want his to touch me, but I recognized I would be less vulnerable with my hands freed.

Dwight hesitated about a foot from me. He swallowed thickly and once he was this close I could see the beads of nervous sweat on his skin. It seemed neither one of us was willing to trust the other. It made me feel better to know he was just as nervous about me as I was about him. It felt like we were on more even footing. Like maybe I wasn't as out of control as I felt. 

"I'm going to do everything I can to get you out of here," he said in a calm, low voice. I stared back at him blankly as though I didn't understand his words. I couldn't wrap my mind around why he would help me. 

He licked his lips and glanced over his shoulder once more. "I brought you some things," he said jerking his chin to indicate the pile over his shoulder.

I watched him, not quite sure why he was going to such a painful effort to narrate our encounter, but it was difficult to focus and strategize when he had the knife in his hand.

He drew in a breath and straightened his shoulders. "I can't help you if you kill me," he finally said, pointing at me with the knife.

I don't know which one of us was more surprised by the amused smirk that twisted my lips. It surprised me that Dwight would be sassy. I tightened my jaw. He didn't get to be funny. He was the enemy and I needed to keep him as inhuman as possible in my mind. 

He stared into my face suspiciously. My sudden change of mood had him on edge. "I know you can take this from me," he said watching me for some sign of imminent attack. "But I can't help you if I'm dead. Okay?"

I cocked my head to the side as I stared at him. He still wore Daryl's vest and just the sight of it made me angry. I could take the knife from him in less than five seconds, he would be dead in less than ten. But then Negan would be forced to kill me too. Daryl wouldn't appreciate me avenging him with my death. I didn't really know how to get out of this place, so having an inside man would help. 

And just like that I was letting another of our enemies live. It made claustrophobia claw up my throat. I closed my eyes against the overwhelming sensations.  

Stop, reset. 

"You're right," I conceded and my voice rasped painfully. I swallowed and my tongue felt thick. I hadn't realized until this moment I was so dehydrated. "I can take it from you," I agreed. Then, in a moment of pure bravery, that took every piece of control I had, I turned my back to him.

He stepped up behind me and for a moment the smell of leather reminded me of Daryl and it helped. 

Stop, reset. 

I forced my body to lock down and hold perfectly still as he gripped the zip tie and jerked the knife through it. He stepped back immediately to give me room. I rolled my shoulders and grimaced as pins and needles shot through my hands and fingers.

He cleared his throat nervously. "We need to clean your wrists," he said and he turned his back on me. He slid the knife away in his belt and knelt down over his pile.

I frowned at his back. He was practically giving me the chance to attack him. He had seen me move before back in Alexandria. He knew how fast I was and here he was willingly giving me the advantage.

He reached for my arm and without thinking I snatched his wrist. He went very still under my hand. His muscles were tight and tense, but he wasn't attacking or fighting. Once more he was waiting but he was looking at me like I was out of control. I didn't feel out of control, but maybe I wasn't the most objective judge right now.

"How did you and Daryl meet?" Dwight's voice was a quiet rasp in the dark.

I flinched at his question and frowned up at him. His questions didn't make sense and my mind was reeling as I struggled to understand. He was holding himself still, trying to look nonthreatening, but he was staring at my wrists. I looked down and grimaced. The skin was a bloody mess from my fighting the zip ties. I wasn't feeling the pain, not yet, but it looked like a wild animal that got caught in a trap.

Dwight slowly turned his wrist in my grip as though he was sure any movement on his part would set me off. It wasn't bad instincts to have. He gently reversed my grip so he was cradling my arm in his hand. I closed my eyes against the urge to fight his gentle grip. 

Stop, reset. 

I let him. I opened my eyes and looked down objectively at where he held my arm in one hand and reached for gauze and a bottle of water from his pile with the other. The dim light from the lantern cast ugly shadows across Dwight's already scarred face making him look monstrous. He was one of the few people I had met whose outside matched his inside. As gentle as he held my arm I knew those same hands had tortured Daryl.

"You guys are married, right?" Dwight asked, and he kept his eyes downcast as he spoke. "How'd you meet?" He kept talking as he splashed water over my wrist.

I jerked, the cold water on my skin seemed to reawaken my nerves and suddenly I could feel the throbbing pain in my hands. I grimaced but forced myself to stay relaxed. 

"Was it before or after the turn?" He just kept talking and I stared at him like he was nuts. What did it matter? I was trying to figure out what advantage he could glean from the information but nothing came to mind. 

"My wife and I, we met before the turn," Dwight continued. He reached into his pile and came out with a bottle of alcohol. He paused for a second and looked into my eyes for the first time since he had started touching me. "This will hurt," he warned me.

I nodded and he watched me for a few seconds like he was trying to decide if he could trust my reactions. Finally he poured a small amount onto my wrists.

I wanted to pull back but I locked myself down, refusing to show him any weakness. When I didn't resist or attack or whatever he was expecting he reached for the gauze. His hands were gentle as he wound the gauze around my wrist.

"What did you two like to do together?" he asked tying off the bandage and reaching for my other wrist.

I still didn't answer, just held still and watched him work. My silence seemed to make him more uneasy and his voice became tight with tension. "Yeah, Sherry and I, before the turn we liked to go camping. You guys sort of seem like the outdoorsy type..." his voice dragged off and he glanced up at my face briefly before looking back at his hands. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "So-" he started to say.

"Can we just finish up please," I finally snapped, unable to contain myself. I wasn't going to make small talk with the man. As much as I appreciated his help I wasn't willing to allow myself to connect with him. 

He flinched at my harsh words and glanced up at me. Whatever he saw on my face had him pressing his lips together tightly and he finished tying off the last bandage. I took a measured step back as quickly as possible.

He cleared his throat and reached back for his pile of items. "I brought you clean clothes, and some food. We don't got a lot, but you should eat while I can still get a hold of some. You need to keep your strength up."

I scowled at him. "Won't that alert them that someone is helping me?"

Dwight stared at me for a minute. "Negan won't be mad someone is taking care of you. If you wouldn't have attacked the others he probably already would have sent someone down. But now he can't without looking weak."

I didn't like Dwight's implications. "Why?" I challenged, my fear of Negan making my voice sharp. "Why should I believe a single thing you say?"

Dwight crossed his arms over his chest. "I've given you information that helped your people."

I scowled up at him. He wasn't as tall as Daryl or as muscular but he was still quite a bit larger than me. It was irritating trying to be intimidating staring up at someone's chin. 

He made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat. "Look, I'm risking my ass here. I'll get you outta here, but you have to trust me."

I pulled back. "Why the hell would you help me?"

Dwight frowned. "I told you I wanted to take down Negan. You and Daryl are the best chance for that."

"Not Rick?" I asked suspiciously. I agreed with him of course, but it surprised me an outsider had come to the same conclusion. 

Dwight shook his head. "Negan's more worried about you and Daryl, so that's where I'm putting my money. He might be a bastard but he's good at reading people."

"Why doesn't he just kill me then?" I challenged. If Negan really had decided Daryl and I were the true threats it didn't make sense why he hadn't killed us. He had plenty of opportunities. Instead, he had been trying to flip us...so we would work with him maybe? It was a ridiculous thought, but the man had proven he was psychotic. 

Dwight shrugged. "I have no idea, he's got a thing for you, but we need to get you outta here before he changes his mind and decides you aren't worth the risk."

"That will be a little hard with the herd outside," I pointed out sardonically. Dwight was right about Negan thinking I might not be worth the risk anymore. I had seen it in his eyes not once but twice since getting here. Outside he could flirt with me and admire my abilities, but inside he walls even he had to recognize I was a threat to his people. 

Dwight nodded in agreement. "I'll figure something out, but first I need to take care of Negan's new pet genius."

"Eugene?" I asked unnecessarily. Eugene had made it perfectly clear where his loyalties lay, but for some reason it still stung.

Dwight nodded. "He's working to draw the herd away and figure out who the traitor is among Negan's people."

I stepped forward and grabbed Dwight's arm. "You have to stop him," I said urgently. My own wellbeing aside, if the saviors escaped their first move would be to attack Alexandria and Rick wasn't prepared for that. In planning this whole thing he had been so certain of his success he hadn't allowed for any contingencies. 

Dwight froze and looked down at where my hand was on his arm. I immediately snatched my hand back and scowled at him as though it were his fault.

"Yeah, I'm on it," Dwight said turning towards the door.

"Don't be fooled by the mullet," I called after him tightening my jaw. "Eugene is one of the smartest people I've ever met," I said sincerely, and he was. "He'll do anything to save his own skin." 

"I've got it covered," Dwight assured me.

I pressed my lips together, I didn't want to work with Dwight or help him, but I wasn't willing to cut my own nose off to spite my face. I needed Dwight to succeed. "If you need a traitor, you should watch Simon," I told Dwight.

He frowned and stepped back closer to me. "What? Why?" 

I licked my lips. "He's not on board. The submission is an act. He's got his eyes on Negan's job. I don't know if it's something that will help or..."

"You just got here," he said and his tone was dismissive. 

I tightened my jaw and stepped up to him. "And I'm good at reading people. Simon is-"

"I said I got it," he assured me. 

I exhaled and stepped away from him as frustration coursed through my body. I really hated him. 

Dwight fidgeted for a moment. "I have to take the lantern with me," he said apologetically gesturing towards the light.

I scowled at him. "So?" I challenged. My voice sounded strong, but my heart was thundering in my chest again. I didn't want to be in this cell alone and in the dark. I wasn't sure how long I would be able to hold it together. As much as I hated to admit it, talking to Dwight had helped. 

"Just-" he started to say and then he sighed and shook his head. "Look, eat some food while we got it. I got shit to take care of. I'll be back later to check on you."

"I don't need you to check on me," I called after him defiantly.

He stared at me. "Yeah," he agreed. "Whatever you say," Then he turned and headed back towards the door.

<><><><><>

Daryl

I drove the truck up to the fence. My grip was tight on the steering wheel. We were actually going to do this. For some reason there was a part of me that had been pretty sure someone was going to stop me. I glanced over towards the girls still surprised Michonne was with us on this one. Going against Rick wasn't really like her.

"Hey cut that engine," Morgan's voice crackled over the walkie. "Any closer, you'll draw walkers from the yard." Morgan was also a bit of a wild card. Either he wanted to fight too much or not enough. Today it helped me, but he wasn't dependable and I wouldn't forget Jo's warning to Tara to watch her back around him. In his time with us he seemed to respect Jo however, even if they didn't always see eye to eye.

I parked the truck and picked up my scope and looked through it before handing it off to Tara. It was a straight shot through the fence. Getting back out might be a little dicey once I jumped outta the truck. Chances were good the herd would be more focused on the truck than me. The crash would give me and Tara time to get clear.

"You take fire from the windows and we'll fire back," Morgan promised. I looked up at the remains of the windows of the factory. If there was anyone up there with a gun when I jumped out of the truck it was going to ruin my day real fast.

"Come on," Tara called to Michonne opening her door and jumping out of the truck. "There's a spot for cover by the chutes," she called. She seemed happy to just be doing something. I didn't blame her. I wanted to make these bastards pay too. If Dwight accidentally got caught up in the mess, well that would just be too bad. And if he didn't...I was taking the first clear shot I got at that bastard. 

Michonne didn't follow right away though. She was sitting, frozen beside me. Her eyes were locked on the herd. She didn't look scared though. She swallowed and a frown grew on her face. I could practically feel the uncertainty coming off of her. She didn't belong here. Going against Rick was something she wouldn't forgive herself for and he might not forgive her either. As badly as I wanted to get Jo out of there, we didn't really need Michonne. Tara and I could manage alone.

"You up for this?" I asked, not looking at her as I spoke.

She licked her lips but still looked a little shell shocked. "I came here because I wanted to see things for myself. I wanted to know that things were going to work," she shook her head. "But you know what? I don't get to know that," she turned and held my gaze, resolve burning in her dark eyes. "None of us do," she let out a tight sigh. "What I do know is that things are working now. So maybe...we just need to trust that things are going to keep working, because this," she shook her head. "What we're about to do...it's not worth risking us," she said looking at me imploringly. "We can't risk the safety of everyone who depends on us for one person."

I stiffened. I could understand her not wanting to go through with it herself, but she was nuts if she thought she was gonna talk me outta this. I leaned back against the door, fighting the urge to yell at her. She was safe because Rick had her stay in Alexandria. While Jo was in danger because Rick had left her behind. But that wasn't Michonne's fault and she didn't deserve to get yelled at for it.

I tightened my jaw and didn't meet her eyes as I chose my words carefully. "It is for me," I told her, and I lifted my eyes to meet her gaze. "For Jo. It just is. I can't leave her," I shrugged. "And I ain't gonna apologize."

Michonne looked away in shame. "I hope it works," she said. "I really, really do, but I-I can't risk everything we've built for-"

"My wife?" I challenged, my temper snapping in my eyes.

She flinched and guilt flashed across her face as she looked away in shame. "I just can't," she said, like she was desperate for me to understand.

I pressed my lips together and nodded. "Then you shouldn't," I told her.

She looked back at me gratefully for letting her off the hook. Before she climbed out of the truck. "I hope you find her," she said weakly and I could tell by the look on her face she thought Jo might already be dead.

She slammed the door behind her.

Tara watched her go angrily before she marched over to my side of the truck. "We've got Morgan and the snipers. We can do this."

I swallowed and glanced back towards the herd of walkers. "Yeah, we will."

<><><><><>

Jo

I don't know how much time passed. But I had changed into the clothes Dwight brought me. I hated the thought of taking anything from him, but my clothes were unusable. Between the sweat and the walker blood they were trash. I used what little space on them was still clean to try and wipe down my boots and my shoulder harness but there was only so much I could do in the dark. I was fine as long as I was focused and had something to do. Once I was done however was when things started to get dicey once more. 

Time was moving strangely for me. With no light it was impossible to tell how long I had been down here. Dwight had left me the half full bottle of water and I was savoring it. Only allowing myself little sips when I needed them. There was no telling how long it would be before I got food and water again. While Woodbury had been a nightmare I had never had to worry about not being fed. I had been The Governor's favorite. But here, as per our plan, food and water was running out and the prisoners would no doubt be the first to be cut off. 

But I couldn't let myself think about that. 

I started with jumping jacks, then high kicks both directions, punches, shadow boxing, push ups, sit ups and high knees. I was almost to fifty mountain climbers when the lock clicked open once more. I shoved myself up to my feet and was in a defensive crouch once more when Dwight slipped through the door. He set the lantern between us, and put the towel back along the bottom of the door. 

He pulled a bottle of water out of his pocket and set it and a sandwich down between us. 

"It's all I could get at mess," he said dropping down to sit against the wall as far from me as possible. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. 

I straightened out of my crouch, feeling foolish when he wasn't paying any attention to me. I glanced from the sandwich and water back to him. 

"You know," I said licking my dry lips. "Daryl told me what you did to him in here," I informed Dwight. "So if you think I'm going to-"

Dwight opened his eyes and leveled his gaze at mine. "It's venison with tomato and some weird lettuce we get from Hilltop." 

I looked back at the sandwich. My stomach rumbled. So however much time had passed since his last visit was enough for me to be hungry again. Now that I had stopped moving I started to feel shaky. I kept my eyes on him as I stepped forward and slid the plate across the room as I could sit and eat as far from him as possible. 

I took my first bite and closed my eyes. It had been so long since I had a really good sandwich. The bread tasted fresh within the last couple days. The luxury of this place was almost overwhelming. I ate the sandwich in five quick bites. 

"Don't choke," Dwight said shaking his head. His words were light but his face and eyes were serious. If he had been anyone else I would have asked what was wrong, but we weren't friends. 

I picked up the bottle of water and allowed myself three sips. It was cool and soothed my throat. My stomach was cramping uncomfortably but the shaking was already gone. I glanced back at Dwight, but he was just sitting across from me, staring at the wall. 

"Thanks," I finally said tightly. 

He nodded. 

"So-" he started to say. 

"That wasn't an invitation for conversation," I snapped quickly. 

He bit back a smile and covered it up by scratching at the scarred side of his face. "I can see why he likes you," he said. 

"Negan?" I scoffed. I didn't give a damn why that psychopath had a thing for me. So far it had been useful in keeping me alive but I didn't really feel like philosophizing over it. 

Dwight snorted and shook his head. "Daryl." 

"He doesn't like me, we aren't teenagers. He's my husband," I snapped defensively. "You know what, why are you still here? Don't you have things to do?" 

Dwight pursed his lips and nodded. "Lots," he agreed. "Eugene figured out I was the traitor, he's probably trying to come up with some plan to lead the herd away, but he's sleeping now." 

"So it's nighttime," I said. 

Dwight nodded. 

"So...why aren't you getting sleep...in your room," I emphasized. 

Dwight turned his head and stared at my face for a long time. "How did you and Daryl meet?" he asked again. 

I shook my head. "What does it matter?" 

He shrugged. "Just making conversation." 

"Why?" I demanded. I didn't understand why he was back again or why he insisted on asking me all these questions. There wasn't a point to them. 

He just shrugged."You guys have kids?" 

I shook my head and looked away from him. "I'm not really the sharing type." 

He nodded. "Daryl either," he added. 

I shook my head and glared back at him as my ire rose. "Why are you here?" I demanded angrily. 

He stared back at me, his face entirely impassive. "So you aren't left down here alone and in the dark." 

I pulled back at that and scowled at him. No one here knew what had happened to me. I hadn't told anyone and I knew Daryl would have never talked which left...Eugene. 

I tightened my jaw. "I'm fine. I'm not scared of the dark and I don't need a babysitter," I growled. 

"Yeah, okay," Dwight agreed but he didn't leave. 

So he sat in the cell with me chatting away about absolutely nothing for probably hours before he finally glanced down at his watch. "I gotta go," he said. He scooped up everything that was in the cell that wasn't on my body. "Negan might be down this morning to see you," he clarified. "Don't want him to know I was here." 

"What about the clothes?" I asked looking down at the slightly too tight jeans and tank top. 

Dwight just shrugged. "Say someone threw them in, but it was too dark to see who." 

I opened my mouth to thank him, but he had already slammed the door and locked it. 

<><><><><>

Daryl

Tara took the rifle and trotted up to the chutes. She crouched down, looking through the scope on her rifle. She swept the windows, but it must have been all clean. "I'm here," her whispered voice came over the walkie talkie. "I'm ready."

I sat in the idling truck, waiting for the others to report in. We only had one shot at this. We couldn't afford to screw it up or we risked pulling the walkers away from the building.

"South lookout, ready for go," Morgan reported.

"East lookout ready."

"North lookout, ready."

"West lookout ready."

It was now or never. I drew in a deep breath and reminded myself this was for Jo. I grabbed the cinder block I had found in one hand and tightened my grip on the steering wheel with the other. 

For Jo. 

"NOW! I yelled into the walkie, and slammed my foot down on the gas.

Gunshots were echoing all around us as I drove straight into the herd. I pointed the truck at the weakest place in the wall and set the cement block on the gas pedal to keep it going. I threw open the door and jumped. I grunted as I hit the ground, landing heavily on my side. But I rolled free. I could hear walkers snarling all around me. It was so loud I could barely hear the gun fire. But the herd was turning to follow the truck. I shoved myself to my feet and ran for cover.

I crouched down behind a slab of cement just in time for the crash of the truck hitting the building. The ground trembled as the truck buried itself halfway inside the building. There were screams from inside and the herd came right behind the truck. 

There were more screams and gunshots as the herd poured into the building in the slim gaps around the truck. I watched eagerly as The Sanctuary was breeched. Tara ran up to crouch beside me. "We did it!" she enthused, smiling happily. 

I nodded, but kept sweeping my eyes around the courtyard. Looking for her. If she was holed up somewhere she wouldn't have missed this opportunity to escape. 

The walkie at my waist crackled again. "Daryl you're clear to the south, you and Tara should head home."

I snatched it up and pressed the button. "But-" I started to argue. I wanted to stick around and search for Jo. It's why we did all of this. 

"If she shows I'll get her out," Morgan promised. "All we can do it wait. There's a chance she would have slipped away around back. You should head home, see if she shows."

I knew he was right. I couldn't do anymore right now. I looked at Tara and she patted my sympathetically on the shoulder. "Don't worry big guy, your girl is tough as nails. We did all we could to help her. She'll probably be waiting for you at home." 

I nodded, though I didn't share her confidence. It would take a lot to contain Jo, and I couldn't help the bad feeling that was tightening in my chest. Like maybe we had made a mistake. 

"Let's haul ass," I said jerking my chin towards the trees. Tara nodded and she stepped out to lay down cover fire. As soon as I was behind her we both sprinted for the trees. 

<><><><><>

Jo

It sounded like a cannon went off. The ground shook and I froze, mid sit up. I held perfectly still as cement dust rained down from the ceiling. And then it was quiet. Whatever had just happened up there was enough for the reverberation to be felt through the entire building. A bomb maybe? The Saviors had to have an impressive arsenal but why would they set off a bomb here? Was it an attack? My sense of time was screwed up but every way I worked through the timeline had Rick and the others still at least a full day away from showing up to accept The Saviors surrender. 

I climbed to my feet. The new clothes Dwight had brought me were already damp with sweat. The jeans and t-shirt were a little tight but they were better than my walker gore covered clothes that were still sitting in a pile in the corner. 

"What was that?" I could hear the urgent voices of my guards. 

"We should go check it out." There was a loud slap of feet against concrete, and then it was quiet. I stepped up to the door and put my ear to it, straining to hear anything. 

I was in the basement however, and I couldn't hear anything in this damn cell. Then there was machine gun fire and as I strained I imagined I could hear screaming. Something had happened upstairs. Something was happening. The gun fire continued. But I was trapped. Trapped in this stupid little cell. Unable to do anything while all hell broke loose upstairs.

<><><><><>

Daryl

We went home. I moved fast through the woods completely focused on getting back to Alexandria as fast as possible. On foot it would take a couple hours, but I was impatient and alternated between walking fast and jogging. Tara somehow managed to keep up and if it pissed her off she didn't say anything. In fact she was surprisingly silent the whole way back. It wasn't like her. Normally she chatted away to fill any silence. 

When we came up to the fence the gate slid open without us having to say anything. I looked up at the guards and around the area just inside the gate, but Jo was no where to be seen. She hadn't made it back. 

"Maybe she's-" Tara started to say. 

"She'd be wait'in," I replied gruffly. 

Tara sighed and nodded. "Yeah...she would be," she glanced up at me. "Sorry," and she was wearing the same expression Michonne had been earlier. Like she thought Jo was dead. 

But she couldn't be. 

Michonne was sitting in the grass near the gate with Little Ass Kicker. She stood as we approached her. Tara nodded to her and headed towards her house, but I stopped.   

"Hey," Michonne greeted uncomfortably. 

"Hi," I said curtly.

"I'm glad you came back," she said hopefully. 

I nodded but it didn't put her at ease. I was making her uncomfortable because I wasn't being all happy and chatty with her, but that wasn't my problem. I hadn't come back here for her. I was here for Jo and we both knew it. 

"It's better if we go out there together tomorrow morning," Michonne said. "We need a unified front to accept their surrender."

I nodded again. "It worked. We'll roll in, tell them to give up. They're gonna give up," I said confidently even though I didn't feel it. My nerves were shot. I didn't know I had done the right thing. What if they did have her, I could have just pinned her down with a herd and a group of people more than willing to let her be eaten first. My only hope was that Negan's obsession would keep her safe. Never thought I would be glad for it.

"I'm sorry," Michonne said looking away in shame and her eyes landed on Little Ass Kicker who was playing in the grass. "I just couldn't."

"Don't be," I shrugged. "It worked," and I strided away from her. I didn't feel like talking about it anymore. 

I walked back towards the house because there was nothing else for me to do right now. I was gonna grab some chow, a shower and get to work getting ready for tomorrow. I needed to just keep moving and she would show up. She had to. 

I turned the corner and Carl was walking towards me. "Hey," I called to him.

"Hey," he said back. He shifted uncomfortably and grimaced. His was wearing Jo's kukri on his belt. 

I frowned, plenty of people were uncomfortable around me, but Carl never was. He looked a little pale and I wondered if he was as worried about Jo as I was. 

I jerked my chin towards the kukri. "So ya any good with that thing?" 

He snorted and shook his head. "Not as good as Jo," he said honestly. 

I patted him on the bat. "I don't think nobody is," I assured him. 

He stiffened when I patted his back and I frowned at him. "Ya good?" I asked suspiciously. 

Carl nodded. "Yeah," he said but it wasn't very convincing. 

I cocked my head and looked at him closely. Sweat was beaded on his skin, but it was pretty warm out. But he was also pale and holding himself stiffly. 

"Carl," I said seriously. I glanced around us to make sure no one was close enough to hear what we were saying. "What's going on?" 

<><><><><>

Jo

It had been quiet for long enough for me to work myself to exhaustion three times. My stomach was cramping painfully from hunger and I had gone through the water Dwight had left me. I napped off and on, but then the bullets had started back up. It sounded like a war zone up there and I paced my cell. All I could do down here was wait and see what happened. I was completely helpless. I tasted panic on the back of my tongue. 

I had the overwhelming compulsion to work some more, but I needed to be sharp, I needed to be able to fight if it came to that. Something was happening up there. It could be my people or it could be the walkers. There was no way for me to know. I was doing push ups before I even realized it.   

Just as suddenly as the machine guns started everything went quiet. My heart thundering in my chest was the only noise. I shot up to my feet and stood next to the door, straining to hear something, anything. 

A while later the lock clicked on my door and it swung slowly open again. Dwight was standing in the deep shadows. He pulled out a small flashlight and clicked it on. He glanced around the room. "Negan's coming," he said in a loud whisper.

"What the hell happened up there?" I demanded. If my people were dead I needed to know. If they had come to accept the saviors' surrender and were all dead now I needed to know. I didn't know what I would do, but I wasn't going to live the rest of my days kept like Negan's little pet. 

I couldn't see Dwight's face in the darkness, but it felt like he was frowning. "Someone drove a garbage truck through the wall of the factory. Walkers got in."

I swallowed and clenched my hands together. Daryl. It was Daryl. It had to be. No one else from our group would have thought of something like that. "What happened to them?" 

"To who?" Dwight was agitated and kept glancing over his shoulder impatiently. 

"The person driving the garbage truck," I said my voice strangled as I fought to contain my emotions. 

"They got away," he said shrugging. "They jumped out and ran for the woods. Look, you need to focus. We cleared the walkers. We're going to hit Alexandria first. He plans to bring you with, he's gonna want to-"

Negan's creepy two note whistle echoed down the hallway. I looked fearfully at Dwight. If he was caught in here Negan would kill him. It wasn't that I was afraid for him, because I wasn't. I didn't care if he lived or died. He didn't matter. But if he was killed I lost my man inside. I lost my only connection to my people, and the only person who seemed to care if I ate or stayed sane in this place. 

Without another word Dwight slipped back out the door, closing it almost silently and locking it. 

"D," Negan greeted. "I didn't realize you were on guard duty," Negan drawled dangerously. 

"The guys who were ran like rabbits. Didn't think we should leave her unguarded," Dwight lied smoothly. 

"My man," Negan's voice rumbled on the other side of the door. 

I backed up until my back hit the wall. Dwight had said they were going to hit Alexandria first, and they were taking me with them. Negan wanted something from me. I tightened my hands into fists. I wasn't going to let him see fear on my face when he opened that door. I wasn't going to let him see any weakness. I was stronger than this. Daryl was still out there and still alive and this was going to be my best chance for getting back to him. 

The lock clicked and the door slammed against the far wall so loudly it made me jump. Negan stood shrouded in shadow in the doorway. He was wearing his leather jacket once more and had his bat resting over his shoulder. Even in the dim light I could see the flash of his teeth as he smiled down at me menacingly. 

"Wakey wakey hot friend. We are go'in on a field trip."

<><><><><>

So...what did you guys think? I sort of changed a few things from the original story line. Thank you so much for all your support and comments. I love reading your reactions and thoughts as you read!