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Jo

"Jo?"

"Jo!"

"JO!"

I jerked as the voices finally penetrated my thoughts. I turned and blinked hard to see Enid and Maggie standing on the fence less than ten feet away from me. I frowned at them. I hadn't heard them approach. It concerned me that other things may have slipped my notice. I was too tired. I turned back to the field laid out before me. The one I had been staring at for who knows how long, essentially sleeping on my feet with my eyes open.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Maggie was speaking again and I turned back to her so she would know I was listening.

I nodded a few too many times pressing my lips together. I glided my fingers over my new knives and instantly felt better. "Yeah," I promised, my voice was hoarse and I cleared my throat.

Maggie looked doubtful and I didn't blame her. The truth was I was exhausted. My eyes were burning with the effort it was taking to keep them open. I was chilled and my stomach was cramping. All signs I was pushing my body far beyond the limits of what it could handle. I wasn't fine. I couldn't control my emotions or my thoughts as they spiraled out of control.

I didn't know anymore how long ago I had slept. It felt like days. My tired thoughts slid over the hazy memories of the cell in The Sanctuary. Had I slept there? I felt the darkness and the cold. The pain as I worked my tired body until I bled and cried. Then the ghost of his menacing chuckle as he called me his hot friend.

I jerked back, my eyes wide and my heart thundering in my ears. I looked around frantically, surprised to find myself standing on the wall of The Hilltop and not back there, trapped by a herd and the psychopath holding the keys.

"-should go in and get some rest-" Enid was halfway through speaking before I actually realized she was talking to me.

I closed my eyes against the rush of panic that was closing my throat. I tightened every muscle in my body against the overwhelming urge I had to run and hide until I felt safe.

Stop, reset.

I looked back and forth between Maggie and Enid as I fought to keep my body in lock down and control my breathing.

Enid shifted her weight uncomfortably and Maggie's expression turned to one of concern. "Enid," she said looking down at the teenager. "Why don't you give me a minute with Jo."

Enid blanched. Maggie noticed, but seemed to decide not to react. Instead, she smiled down reassuringly at Enid. Enid still looked doubtful, but left Maggie alone with me anyway.

"See," I said, flashing Maggie a tired smile. "Even my friends," I said as though we were still in the middle of our conversation from earlier. I tried not to let it hurt my feelings. You would think after all this time I would be used to it. That it wouldn't hurt anymore.

I looked away so Maggie couldn't see the emotions that were slamming through me too fast to control or stop.

Maggie just stood there and seemed to be waiting me out, her eyes soft and patient. I tightened my jaw. It felt too much like weakness.

Stop, reset.

I was better now. My heart rate slowing. I turned back to the horizon and scrubbed at my tired eyes with the heels of my hands. "I'm fine," I reassured her forcing a tight smile that I knew couldn't reach my eyes.

Maggie stepped up next to me and frowned down at me. "I think you need to rest Jo," she said firmly.

She was right of course. I had reached the place where I was almost loopy from lack of sleep. I was useless like this, but I couldn't face the nightmares. Not yet. Not while he was still breathing.

I tightened my fist on the handle of my kukri but flashed her a knowing look. We had already discussed this and she knew my answer. I wasn't going to give on it, nor was I going to explain it to her again.

Maggie sighed and stepped up next to me. "We'll get him," she promised and for just a moment it felt like she could read my mind. Or maybe I was just being that obvious. "They're coming tonight and he'll be with them," her voice rose with excitement.

I nodded my throat suddenly dry as I thought about him being here. I was tormented with opposing feelings of excitement and terror. I wanted him to come. I wanted to end this. I wanted to be the one to sink the knife into his skull that put all of us out of our misery and avenge our friends...but there was another part of me, a much more honest part, that was terrified of exposing myself to the chance of being taken by him again. If he took me back there I knew for a fact I would never get out. He would lock me away in the deepest, darkest hole he could find.

I wanted us to win, would fight with every part of me to ensure we did, but there was a small, realistic part of me that recognized we were outgunned and there was a very real chance things could go very, very wrong for us.

I couldn't go back. I wouldn't.

Maggie noticed. "Maybe..." she started to say. "When it starts," she amended. "You should be with Daryl."

I scowled as I realized I had done something to scare Maggie now too. I rubbed at my face with my free hand. I was too tired to play this game. I opened my mouth to argue with her, but she shook her head.

"You're both better fighters when you aren't worried about the other," she moved her hand towards mine, slowly so she wouldn't startle me, and closed her hand over my forearm. I wasn't sure if the touch was for my benefit or for hers. As though to reassure us both she wasn't afraid of me. "There's nothing wrong with that," she told me sincerely.

I wanted to argue. It felt too much like admitting a weakness to say I needed Daryl. But the truth was, when I got like this, and things weren't clear I could always trust Daryl at my side. Even when I couldn't trust myself.

Maggie's grip on my arm tightened and I looked down at it. "The two of you stand the best chance of getting him," Maggie's eyes were burning with an intensity that hadn't been there moments ago. It was an intensity I recognized and knew well. It came from the dark, primal places in the back of my mind. It wasn't something I had ever associated with Maggie before.

She smoothed her hands protectively over the tiny bump beneath her shirt and that primal glimmer shone out of her green eyes. "He's gotta die. For what he did to Glenn...for what he's done to all of us...For little Hershel or Beth to be safe. There's no choice," she said with all the conviction of a raging mama bear.

I stared up at her for a long moment thinking that if I was as half as scary as Maggie was right now, it was a wonder I had any friends left at all.

I felt a small smirk tug at the corner of my lips. "Those your names?" I asked.

She shrugged and the tension seeped out of her. "Something I'm trying out. Everyone has suggestions," she chuckled, her shoulders sagging as though it had taken effort for her to hold herself up like that.

"I'm sure," I said shaking my head.

Maggie reached into her pocket and pressed a key into my hand. "Jerry said he's along the ridge, up in the tree line."

I looked down at the motorcycle key and sighed. I hated driving it, but just the thought of being close to Daryl made me feel better and riding the motorcycle would certainly wake me up. Maggie followed me as I climbed down the ladder and walked over to where the bike was parked.

"See you after," Maggie said drawing me into a hug.

I nodded and I moved towards Daryl's bike. I sling my leg over and stuck the key in. Before I turned it, I paused and looked back at her. "Kate's a good name," I told her, my voice catching.

She blinked at me for a moment and I saw the second she remembered I had a sister in all this. Maggie had never known her. Kate hadn't lasted that long.

"She was killed by someone just like Negan," I told her. "And we aren't ever going to let something like that happened to anyone else again." I said firmly. "Negan has to die, but we can't ever let ourselves forget."

Maggie smiled warmly at me and nodded.

I turned the key and the bike rumbled to life. "Abraham's a good name too," I called to her before I twisted the throttle and rode out of the gates.

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Daryl

It had been hours since the first call went out, but then no confirmation came from further down the line. I paced for almost an hour, tense with anticipation for the coming fight. They musta stopped, probably were prepping nearby for an attack once full dark came. That's how I'd do it anyway.

I sat on downed tree, the airhorn clipped to my belt as I fiddled with the string on my crossbow, checking to make sure it was taut. Tonight was going to be a tough one. Tougher than anyone realized. Rick and Michonne were still raw, not thinking clearly. Ezekiel and Maggie had their heads on straight, but there were a lot of wild cards back there. Morgan was barely hanging on and Jo...

I scrubbed a hand over my face. Jo was exhausted and so much had happened in the last week. She had been taken by Negan, lost Carl, and had our home burned to the ground in front of her. She wasn't thinking clearly. I knew that. Just like I knew her well enough to know I was going to have to keep her close when the fighting started. She was on the edge and it wouldn't take much to push her over.

I still didn't know where she was at, how bad it really was, it was hard to tell with her missing so much sleep. It was bad, I knew that without a doubt, but I wasn't sure how much of her I had already lost to Negan and how much went with Carl. It didn't matter to me, I would love Jo no matter how broke this world made her. I was broke long before this shit started and it never scared her away. It was her ability to keep going, to keep fighting for the people she loved that made her so amazing. Negan couldn't take that from her. The Governor and many other assholes had tried. They had all failed. Negan would end up just another asshole on the end of Jo's knife. I had no doubt about it.

I heard my bike before I saw it. I turned towards where the road came out through the trees waiting for her. No one else would dare use it without asking me. She didn't like driving it, so I was surprised she had chosen to ride out. I chewed on my lip, hoping it wasn't something serious. She had planned on staying back behind the fence until it was time. Something had made her change the plan.

She parked near me without meeting my eyes. She didn't look upset but I ran my eyes over her to reassure myself. She looked all right. I was still worried about her, but couldn't help the pleased smirk that stretched my lips as she parked my bike and swung her leg over it. Her jeans were low on her hips and clung to her legs. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head, pulling her shirt up to expose a couple inches of smooth skin.

She met my gaze and caught me looking. I smirked at her unapologetically.

She shook her head. "Stop," she grumbled and despite how tired she was, an embarrassed smile stretched her face.

The fact that I could still make her blush made me happier than it should. A full smile crossed my face. It meant that despite everything that had happened to her and everything we had faced, she was still there. I hadn't realized how worried I was that I had already lost her until that second.

"How's the day going?" I asked hoarsely, my voice was rough from lack of sleep and tight with worry.

She sighed and flopped down on the log beside me, her movements were stiff but she didn't seem to be favoring the ankle she kept trying to hide from me.

"That good huh?" I teased gently.

She nodded, biting back another yawn. "You know me, making friends where ever I go," she was trying to keep it light, but there was a tightness to her words. Something had happened back in the community. No matter how much she did, how much she sacrificed for them, there was always going to be assholes who condemned her for what she did to survive. I wanted to know who it was, so I could set them straight, but I pressed my lips together thinking it probably wasn't the right time to push.

"I'm surprised Maggie sent you out here," I said instead, setting my crossbow down beside me.

"I didn't really give her a say," she admitted shyly.

I chuckled once and nodded not at all surprised. When Jo decided something there wasn't a damn thing in the world that was going to convince her otherwise. I looked down at her, letting myself notice the details. "See ya got yourself some new hardware," I commented, gliding my fingers over the metal of the new knives strapped to her.

She shivered beneath my fingers and it took some effort to not look too smug. Her eyes drifted closed for a second and I rested my hand on her hip. She leaned into my touch and the knot of anxiety that had lived in my chest since getting her back unwound one more notch.

"Maggie get them for ya?" I asked in a low voice.

She grunted, but didn't open her eyes as she settled in beside me. I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. She snuggled into me, trying to bite back another yawn.

"Glad she found ya something to fight with. Did ya spend the whole time practicing with them or did ya sleep?" I asked wryly. I wasn't trying to start a fight I swear, but I needed to know.

She tensed and then opened her mouth to respond. "Don't-" I cut her off. "Don't bother lyin. You're terrible at it."

She snorted and shook her head, slipping an arm around my waist as she settled more comfortably against me. "I'm great at it," she argued weakly.

"Yeah okay," I said shaking my head.

The sun was warm overhead and her body slowly relaxed into mine. I hoped she slept, but I was too worried about waking her to check. Her breathing evened out and for the first time in a long time she relaxed against me.

A little over an hour later a horn sounded in the distance and Jo jerked awake. It was the relay. The sun had sunk low on the horizon and she blinked up at me on confusion.

I stood, extricating myself from her as gently as possible and lifted the air horn high above my head. Jo flinched and covered her ears.

I moved back to my bike. Jo scrambled up onto her feet still looking groggy. I waited for her as she turned to face me. She looked so exhausted. I wished there was a way I could protect her from this fight. If I thought I could convince her to stay in these woods until it was done I would beg her on my knees.

But there was a set to her jaw despite the exhaustion in her eyes. It was useless, she was gearing up for the fight.

I sighed, and swung my crossbow over my shoulder. "It's not exactly the plan...but I got an idea."

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Jo

The hardest thing for me was to wait. Daryl was better at it. It was the hunter in him. He could wait for hours, holding absolutely still. I started going stir crazy after ten minutes of waiting. Our friends were down there, potentially in danger, and we sat on the bike, biding our time. I hated it. I preferred to be on the front line.

We watched as half a dozen trucks approached the gates. They stopped just shy of being able to ram it, right in the area where our people had buried spikes in the ground to blow their tires. Saving our fence just as we planned. Those of us who had been there for the fight with The Governor had learned back at the prison that maintaining your fence was the single most important thing. No matter how far away they were, a fight would always bring in the walkers.

They were and always would be the real enemy.

The extra walkie talkie at Daryl's waist crackled to life.

"Negan," Maggie's voice growled through it. "I want to talk to Negan."

Daryl pulled the walkie and held it out between us so we could listen.

"Well hello there," Simon's voice came back through. "You are speaking to Negan."

It was a lie. I knew Negan's voice anywhere and that wasn't it. I was about to point that out to Daryl when the man continued.

"But my birth certificate says Simon," he drawled casually. "With whom to I have the distinct displeasure of speaking?"

I scowled at Daryl, surprised Negan would let Simon handle the communication. It wasn't in character for the leader of The Saviors. He normally liked to be out front and the center of attention. Something was off.

"Maggie. Maggie Rhee. The widow," she clarified. Maggie's voice was tight with tension but still she sounded calm and collected. After months of Rick barely being able to control his anger when dealing with the saviors, ultimately leading to me being taken prisoner by them, her composure was reassuring.

"Well, then," Simon responded jovially and I realized he was doing his best to make himself sound like Negan. "Hello again, Widow Rhee, and allow me to offer my condolences for what's happened and what's about to happen. In case it's not as plain as Hilltop potatoes, yours truly is speaking on behalf of Negan this go around."

Simon sounded way too happy about the whole thing. I frowned at Daryl wondering if he noticed. We had never discussed his time there so I didn't know how much of the intricacies of their structure he understood. I remembered seeing the glint of rebellion in Simon's eyes however. I had warned Dwight about it. Had Simon overthrown Negan? What did that mean for Dwight's allegiance? Or was Negan up to something? It seemed improbable that someone like Simon could take down someone as powerful as Negan. Negan was a force of nature. Truly someone to be reckoned with. This had to be a trick or some kind of trap.

I tightened my jaw and forced myself to focus. Negan was here. I had no doubt.

"And I assure you that the man himself personally received your care package next day delivery. I noticed it was the box that I gave you in good faith - tricks on me," I could hear Simon losing his grip on his temper. Whatever box he was referring to had made him look like a fool.

I scowled up at Daryl in the dark. "What box?" I whispered to him. Had Maggie been in contact with The Saviors without Ricks permission. I cupped my forehead. There was just too much, and I was too exhausted to think clearly. I wouldn't allow myself to get bogged down by the politics of the situation. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that Negan died.

Daryl just shrugged, his focus still on the conversation.

"But the bills come due and you and your people are going to have to pay. Quite dearly I'm afraid," Simon said grimly. The walkie talkie clicked off.

"Your thirty-eight people are alive and breathing. Turn around and leave us be and they stay that way...but if you don't," Maggie warned. "I have thirty-eight bullets, that I will personally fire into all thirty-eight." She sounded absolutely steadfast in her resolve and I was a little proud of her. Not that she needed or wanted my validation, but she certainly had earned it tonight.

There was another click and another voice came through the walkie talkie. Presumably as Maggie handed over her walkie to one of the prisoners. "It's too nice a night to spend it dying slow, don't you think, Simon?"

The walkie talkie clicked off and I stared into Daryl's eyes. "How do you think this is going to go?"

Daryl shrugged, but his eyes were hard and he tightened his grip on his crossbow. We both knew this was going to be a fight. There was no way around it. Negan's ego wouldn't allow for anything but wiping us out.

"Well, Maggie Rhee, this is highly regrettable but the way I see it the Savior's you're in possession of in there are damaged goods. You know, they've gotten themselves into their own pickle and this organization prizes those who A. avoid capture, and B. Figure out their own shit when said outcome eventuates. Which, in the end, is my way of saying, screw them."

The walkie talkie clicked off again.

I hadn't thought it would work, but I admired Maggie for trying. She was truly a good leader. She was someone worth following.

I squinted down at the group of Saviors in the lights in front of the gates. We couldn't hear what they were saying but there was a lot of movement. Too much.

"Alright," Daryl said grimly. "That's that."

I nodded tightly. This was the one part of Daryl's plan I didn't like. I wasn't as comfortable on the motorcycle as I should be for it to be one hundred percent fool proof.

"Ya remember-" he started to ask, climbing on behind me.

I twisted the throttle and the bike rumbled between my legs in response. "I remember," I told him grimly.

"All right darlin, showtime," he drawled in my ear and his lips grazed my neck. My skin was hyper sensitive in the cool air and I shivered.

He looped on arm around my waist and held his gun out in his other hand. I raced the bike across the uneven terrain straight towards where the Saviors were waiting outside our gates. It was now or never, if I missed the timing on this we would be trapped on the wrong sides of the lines.

I swerved coming around their vehicles as Daryl stood on the pegs behind me and let out a spray of bullets through their ranks. Saviors dropped and screamed. It was too dark for me to identify any of them clearly, but two men stood at the front of the group. They jumped to the side into the shadows. It had to be him and Simon.

I kept the throttle wide open as I pointed the bike at the closed gates, trusting they would open in time. If they didn't I was going to lay the bike down trying to turn it. I wasn't as good as Daryl and his weight behind me made it difficult to control the balance of the bike.

I swerved around the spikes to save the tires. Daryl's gun clicked empty and he sat back down. He slid up impossibly close to me, his thighs settled in against mine and his arms came around me as he gently took control of the bike. I happily let him. I leaned forward, gripping the gas tank as Daryl expertly swerved through the trucks and towards the gate.

The gates opened, and the saviors, just as predicted, tried to follow us in. As soon as we were through I heard Jerry yell and the bus smashed into the wall of vehicles the Saviors tried to ram through, pinning them down between the bus and the walls.

"NOW!" Maggie screamed at the top of her lungs

Our people opened fire.

Daryl slowed the bike, parking it around the side of the house. I practically jumped off, racing back towards the saviors with knives in my hands. Back towards him.

Daryl caught up easily in two long strides. "Ya good?" He called over to me, but I was already too focused on the saviors to respond.

He was here. He had to be. I didn't believe Simon for a second. Negan would never miss this chance. My chance.

I stalked across the drive completely in the open, hellbent on one thing. Finding Negan. I was too tired to be doing this. I knew that. I had slept for only a little while that afternoon, less than an hour and instead of making it better it only made it worse.

My thoughts were hazy and nothing around me felt real. It was difficult to focus on more than one thing, so I didn't bother trying. It was almost dreamlike.

Someone grabbed me from behind, dragging me back just as a volley of arrows chewed up the ground where I had just been. Daryl slammed me against the side of a vehicle, using his body to either shield me or pin me. I wasn't sure which and fought against his hold for only a second before the absurdity of the situation caught up to me. I jerked away from him, my eyes locked on the line of arrows sticking out of the ground.

Arrows? Why were they using arrows? I knew they had spent a lot of ammo getting through the herd but could they really be that low? It seemed out of character for Negan to lead his people here knowing they were outgunned. I hadn't been paying attention, had any of the Saviors shot a single bullet at us?

Behind me I heard the comforting thwack of Daryl's crossbow as he fired at them.

"Look outs fall back, front line give 'em cover!" Maggie's voice sounded somewhere behind me but it didn't matter. It didn't apply to me. I wanted Negan. I couldn't hear anything over the pounding of my pulse in my ears as I stalked through the maze of vehicles looking for him.

"Jo," Daryl whisper yelled after me but I didn't stop. He grabbed my arm, jerking me roughly out of the way as a Savior swung an ax precisely where I had been. I stumbled as Daryl moved in, ducking under his guard, and slammed his knife into the other man's throat. Daryl whirled back around to face me in the time it took me to recover.

"Ya gotta stop," he growled.

I scowled at him, my heart still thundering in my ears. That had been a close one. Closer than either of us would want to admit. "I'm-" I started to say.

"Hunting him," Daryl growled angrily. "You're gonna get killed if ya don't slow down."

I opened my mouth to respond but another volley of arrows came our way. Daryl grabbed me and dragged me back towards cover. "Follow me," he growled and I could tell he reached the end of his patience.

My tired brain could think again and I knew he was right. I needed to slow down. Negan wasn't going anywhere. We had made sure of that.

Daryl and I ducked from cover point to cover point. I froze as I spotted Dwight and Simon. They were prowling towards Tara who had no one covering her back. I was too far away to help. Without another option I shouted "Tara!" Immediately giving away our position.

Two Savior's jumped us. Daryl engaged one while I slashed the other saviors throat without even a moments hesitation. I turned fear filled eyes towards Tara in time to see Simon pull back his arm to throw his hatchet. I was too late, too far away, I pulled a knife but I wasn't going to make it. I couldn't save her.

Right before he would have let the hatchet fly Dwight jumped out from cover. For a second I thought he was going to help her. It felt like the whole world was moving in slow motion as I watched him fire an arrow into Tara's back. Tara spun around, her eyes widening in shock as she fell. Her gun continue to go off and Daryl leapt out of the way of the friendly fire.

I had a moment to decide who to throw my knife at and I hesitated. Dwight was closer and an easier shot and he had just fired on Tara. I wanted him dead. But Simon was the real threat. I drew back the knife and threw it at Simon just as Daryl laid down fire on them from behind me. The bullets ricocheted between the cars, but both men kept running. Simon staggered slightly, and I had a moment to hope I had landed my knife in his back.

I started for Tara. It would mean running across the open expanse of the driveway but she needed help. I took one running step and Daryl looped an arm around my waist, pulling me back. I don't know how he reached me so fast. I hadn't heard him. I started to fight him, to try and get to her, but he held me.

"Shh, shh, she's fine," his voice rasped in my ear and when I looked back Enid was crouching near Tara, helping her back towards the house.

"It's time," Daryl said. "Maggie gave the signal, it's time to go."

I stayed where I was, looking towards the Savior's lines. The need to find him was almost overwhelming, my slow moving thoughts could think of nothing else.

"Jo!" Daryl snapped and he pulled me back. The smoke grenades went off as our people shot out the headlights on the vehicles.

As darkness fell an eerie silence came over the community as all our people seemed to just disappear.

Daryl and I ran through the backdoor of the house into the parlor to our assigned window on ground floor. It was three people per window.

Jerry was waiting for us. He flashed me a toothy grin in the dark. "How's it going? Kicking ass and taking names?" He whispered cheerfully to me.

"Jerry," Ezekiel's whisper-yell admonished from the next window down where he, Carol and Maggie crouched together.

Jerry just smirked unapologetically and turned his attention back to his gun.

I crouched beneath the window sill my breath still coming fast. I pulled the two guns from my shoulder holster and waited. The clips were still full, I hadn't used them since Daryl forced me to take them days ago. I really didn't like guns.

Daryl was absolutely still beside me. He was so close I could feel his reassuring warmth.

"These people have run before," Simon encouraged his people. "I want the place surrounded."

Daryl shifted his weight and I could feel the tension rising in his body.

The creepy two note whistle that had haunted my nightmares sounded through the darkness. I jerked once and Daryl's eyes flashed to my face in the dark. I closed my eyes as terrifying memories threatened to pull me under. I tightened my grip on the guns in my hand. I was not going to lose it. I was going to focus.

Now, I knew he was here. And nothing was going to stop me. I would never be afraid again and neither would anyone else. I tightened my grip on the gun and desperately wished it was one of my knives.

"NOW!" Maggie yelled and the lights flipped on and everyone started shooting out the windows.

"Goddamnit no!" I could hear Simon's voice over the gunfire.

I fired down at the panicking Savior's but I was distracted as I searched the crowd for him. I tightened my jaw, squeezing the trigger a few more times. I didn't see him.

We took out over half the Saviors before the rest turned tail and ran.

"Back to the trucks!" Simon was screaming. "Go! Go! GO!"

We knew they reached the gates as headlights flicked on and the sounds of fighting restarted as Rick, Jesus and a handful of other fighters pinned them down between us.

I heard the first truck start and panic choked me. They were getting away. I couldn't let that happen.

The window was narrow, but I was pretty sure I was small enough. I tucked away my guns, grabbed the window sill and tossed my legs over the side.

"Dude," was all I heard from Jerry.

I landed hard on the ground about eight feet below, already drawing my knives.

Behind me I heard Daryl yell my name in frustration but he wouldn't be able to catch me. He wouldn't fit through the window and would be forced to go around.

I ran straight towards the fleeing saviors. He had to be here.

I moved through the remaining Saviors. They were trying to flee, but some seemed to have decided to stay and fight. I slashed and spun and kicked. There was pain in my ankle, making it difficult to pivot off of it, but I pushed past that. I kicked one in the chest forcing him back as I swung a knife straight into another's temple. These weren't walkers, but they also weren't men accustomed to fighting hand to hand. They were slow and clumsy and in seconds both bodies were at my feet.

I spun kicked the next one, knocking him unconscious. I dropped into a crouch and slammed my knife through his ear. I wasn't going to stop for even a second to let me conscious catch up to me. It was us or them. They had made their choice to come here tonight. I wasn't going to give any of them the chance to do it again.

When I straightened I saw Rick fighting near by. I jerked my knife out of the savior to see Rick level his gaze at Siddiq who was crouched over one of our people. It took a second for me to realize Rick had lost control, and couldn't tell friend from foe anymore. Me of all people should have been able to recognize it for what it was.

Rick ran straight at him, his hatchet raised, preparing to strike at Siddiq's exposed back. Siddiq was completely oblivious of the danger as he worked to save the man's life.

This was the man Carl had died to save.

"Rick!" I yelled and I ran towards him.

He started swinging the hatchet when I hit his chest at full speed. I caught him by surprise which is the only reason it worked. I knocked him back. He rebounded off the side of the shed, and came up ready to fight. I was in a crouch, prepared if he attacked me. It only took a second for him to recognize me.

"Jo?" He asked uncertainly, I couldn't tell if he was still out of control or if he thought I was the one out of control.

Either way, I was getting a headache.

"Rick," I said his name again. A confirmation that I was in control.

He looked from me down to Siddiq. Confusion and then understanding dawned on his face. He looked back to me gratefully.

Siddiq was staring up at us, his eyes wide with fear. He had no idea what had almost just happened, he only knew we were fighting each other nearly on top of him.

"It's not-" I started to say, but Rick was already shaking his head.

He leveled his hatchet at Siddiq. "You stay down," he warned.

Siddiq nodded a few too many times. I nodded to him too, trying to look reassuring, but with blood coating my forearms and two knives in hand I didn't think I was very successful.

I took off after Rick as we chased the last of the fleeing Saviors out of the gates. Rick slammed his hatchet into ones back and threw himself at another. The man punched Rick across the face, dazing him and I snapped off a knife before he could get in another blow. Rick and I fought side by side all the way to the gate. The Saviors ran from our collective rage.

I heard the first of the trucks start but whipped around as the sound of slapping feet against the dirt came behind me. Maggie ran down from the house, firing her gun as the trucks started to pull away. Rick pulled his gun and the two of them stood shoulder to shoulder and continued to fire. I bent at the waist and panted trying to catch my breath. I didn't bother wasting my bullets. They were gone.

Maggie glanced down at me. "I wanted them dead," she confessed. "All of them...Negan most of all." She lifted her eyes and found my gaze in the dim light.

I let her see the disappoint I felt.

Rick nodded, his chest rising and falling as he fought to catch his breath. "Yeah, me too."

"Did you see him?" I asked scowling. All of that and I hadn't caught of glimpse of the bastard.

"He wasn't here," Rick said with certainty. "I saw him out there," he said gesturing towards the woods with his gun. "I broke away and tried to kill him," his voice faltered. "I didn't," he confessed. "but I tried."

Tears welled in Maggie's eyes. "Thank you," she said sniffling.

Rick's eyes softened and he pulled Maggie into his chest in a one armed hug. Before I could pull back he looped his other arm around my shoulders and pulled me towards him as well. "I promise both of you here and now, I will kill him." Daryl stepped up beside us, his eyes meeting Rick's as Rick spoke his next words. "I give you my word."

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Hope you enjoyed the updated!

Thank you everyone for your input on how I should proceed. I've decided that I'm going to finish off season eight in this story and then make a Part II, I'll pick up where I left off in this one. I think it will be a nice break as there is a time jump there anyway coming into season 9. Thank you everyone again! Your support and input seriously keeps me writing! You're the best!

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So the amazingly talented @Hannahgraves779 drew her imagining of Jo. I love it! It's so incredible. I think she did an amazing job of really capturing Jo's intensity. Thank you so much!!!