It wasn't over. There would never be a New World, not yet. Not when people like Negan were still breathing. Alexandria was just the beginning of what would surely be a forever war. Not only would it be part of their history as a community, but what happened in the coming weeks would determine the outcome of the future. A week and a half had passed since the Saviors and Scavengers fled Alexandria, giving the Alexandrians enough time to bury their dead and plan their retaliation. 

The plan seemed poorly thought out. And so many things could go wrong. If one of their teams made a mistake, the entire plan could fail and the Saviors could end up beating them. As they gathered in a field on the morning of their assault, Parker stood in the back of a truck with Maggie, Ezekiel, and Rick. The residents of the Kingdom, Hilltop, and Alexandria came together to defeat their common enemy, and seeing so many people fighting for a better future gave Parker hope that they could achieve it.

"When I first met him," Rick began, looking around at all of the people. "Jesus said that my world was gonna get a whole lot bigger. Well, we found that world. We found each other. That... 'bigger world' is ours by right. That we have come together for it, all of us... it's that much more true. It's ours. By right! Any person who would live in peace and fairness, who would find common ground.. it's there right too. But those who use and take and kill to carve out the world and make it theirs alone- we end them!" Rick began to pace back and forth in front of the others as he continued his speech. "We don't... celebrate it. We don't have shame about it either."

"There is only one person who needs to die, and I will kill him myself. But if it's the others... the ones who support him and stand by him, even those who simply look the other way, so be it. And then.." Parker shrugged her shoulders lightly. "We continue making the world we have now even bigger. Together."

"Together," Ezekiel repeated. "Bound forever! To quote the Bard: 'For he today, that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.'" Ezekiel placed a hand on Rick's shoulder before turning to Maggie and Parker. "For them today my sisters." Shiva roared in approval from the bed of a truck, a few heads turning her way.

"We've practiced," Maggie announced. "We've been through it over and over again. We all know that the plan doesn't end this morning. That we may have to live in uncertainty for days, maybe more."

"But we need to put our trust in each other. Place our faith in each other's hands," Parker built off of the other's words. "If we can hold on to that with all our strength, the future is ours. The world is ours. I don't want to wait any longer," Parker explained, shaking her head. "And I know none of you do either. So we don't have to wait. We start right now, with everything we've overcome, everything we've endured, and everything we've become. Regardless. Whatever comes next, we win. We've already won!" The crowd cheered when Parker got off the truck with Jesus' help, and she smiled at him. "Did I look like I knew what I was doing up there?"

"Yesah, and very pregnant," Jesus answered, tilting his head slightly. "Are you sure it's okay for you to be there?" Parker rubbed a hand over her stomach.

"I have a little more than a month left before the twins get here. I'm sure everything will be fine." Jesus raised his eyebrows. 

"Just make sure you stay away from Jerry. He gave Enid his armor and I'm sure he'll try to do the same to you."

"I'm, like, one hundred percent certain that I won't be able to fit in it." Parker laughed, looking over at Jerry and Enid who were caught up in some random conversation. Rick appeared and rolled his eyes.

"You have to wear something for protection. Whatever happened to that vest?" He asked her and she pointed in Maggie's direction.

"Gave it to her during the Governor attack. She lost it back in Terminus." Parker responded before her face fell. Rick put a hand on her shoulder.

"We're doing this for him. For all of us." Parker nodded.

"Just one more fight."

"Are you ready?" Rick asked. She nodded again, holding up the rifle that Jesus gave her.

"Yeah, I'm ready. Don't worry, I never miss."

"I know," Rick replied. "Come on." Parker got into a car with Rick, sitting in the passenger seat. She let out a sigh as Rick started the engine, and he reached out to place his hand on her shoulder, offering her a reassuring squeeze. "We're going to win," Rick said. "This is going to work."

"I hope you're right," Parker responded unsurely.

"We'll meet up with Daryl after this," Rick promised. "You know the plan." The trip to the Sanctuary was quiet, but Parker knew that tranquility would end when the action began. The cars rolled up in procession to the fences of the Sanctuary, and their allies came out and took position. They were smart about the attack, armoring their cars with sheets of scrap metal to protect them from enemy fire, providing holes small enough for a rifle but not large enough to endanger anyone. Parker stood next to Rick, watching Maggie raise her hand. In unison, all the guns swung into the air, and when Maggie lowered her hand, everyone fired four shots into the air, letting the Sanctuary know they had a visitor at their door.

"Well.... shit!" Negan smiled excitedly as he walked out of the door, people trailing behind him. "I'm sorry. I was in a meeting. I see you got your little mudflaps with you. So I'm not exactly feelin' a reason for us to try throwin' lead at each other. I care about my people. I don't want to just march them into the line of fire because I want to play 'My dick is bigger than yours.' It is. We both know it. But I'm also comfortable enough to accept the fact if it wasn't. I'm certainly not gonna let my people die over that shit... like you're about to." He aimed Lucille at Rick for the last part.

"This man's confidence is through the roof," Parker muttered, keeping herself pressed against the sheet of metal.

"So, Rick, what the hell can I do for you?" Negan asked. 

"Dwight. Your name's Simon. You're Gavin. And you..." Rick pointed to Negan's men as he listed off the names that he knew. But the girl there had him stumped.

"Regina," The woman answered for him, planting her hands on her hips as Eugene started sputtering out a sentence.

"Rick," Eugene said shakily. "I'd feel remiss if y-"

"Be quiet!" Parker yelled over him.

"I know who you are," Rick said quietly towards Eugene who dropped his chin to his chest. "Listen, you five! The Saviors inside. All of you have a chance to survive here. To survive this. You all can live.. if you surrender. Can't guarantee it any time but now. Right now."

"Offer expires in... about five minutes.." Parker pretended to look at a watch, the sound of distant walkers filling the silence between the two groups.

"So they surrender... and you and your little piss patrol doesn't kill them?" Negan asked slowly as he rolled the offer for his people around in his mind. "That sounds like a good deal! What about me, Rick?"

"I told you. Twice," Rick replied, resting a hand on the back of his gun. "You know what's going to happen."

"I do," Negan nodded, looking at Simon as he paced. "I do know what's going to happen. You don't. You have no idea the shit that's about to go down. Let me ask you somethin', Rick- do you think you have the numbers for this fight? You don't. Simon...?" Parker watched through the metal as Simon carried another man towards the yellow railing of the cement ledge. Gregory, former Hilltop leader, came out and Parker looked at Jesus, silently asking if he knew about this.

"Of course, that's where he went," Jesus scoffed, the least bit surprised by his old friend's decision.

"Welp, that answers my question." Parker rolled her eyes at the man's choice before turning back to look at Negan and the people at his side.

"What do you have to say to Rick and the piss patrol, Gregory?" Negan asked the old man with a smug smile on his face. He must think he actually won.

"The Hilltop stands with Negan and the Saviors," Gregory declared, his hands tucked into the waistband of his pants as he looked down at the people before him. "Any resident of the Hilltop who takes up arms or who supports this ultimatum against the Sanctuary or any of the Saviors for that matter- they will no longer be welcome in the colony."

"And?" Negan prompted, putting an arm around his shoulders.

"Their families will be thrown out and will be left to fend for themselves," Gregory added to his warning.

"And...?" Negan said again.

"Go home now!" Gregory demanded the people of Hilltop. "Or you won't have a home to go back to." Maggie looked around at the people who had come from Hilltop, the ones who had decided to follow her and not Gregory. 

"You do what you need to do." She said to them with a small nod.

"All I have at Hilltop are a bunch of books and an old lobster bib," Jesus responded with a shrug, earning a smile from Maggie.

"You heard the man," Negan announced. "Go back to separating wheat and shit... or whatever the hell it is you people do."

"Doesn't look like anyone's goin', does it?" Maggie called back from over her shoulder as she looked past the sheet of metal.

"Hilltop stands with-"

"The Hilltop stands with Maggie!" Jesus shouted, interrupting Gregory. Parker watched as Simon backed Gregory to the edge of the stairs.

"I feel... like I invested a lot in you, and I'm very, very disappointed!" He pushed Gregory down the stairs and Parker heard his body hit the floor with a thud each step he fell down. She then heard the explosion and saw the black smoke rising into the sky, knowing that Daryl, Carol, Morgan, and Tara were successful in their part of the plan.

"Sounds like shit is going down, Rick," Negan commented as he heard the explosion, not knowing that it was his men who had just exploded.

"Hate to break it to you.. but that deal is about to expire," Parker informed them, saying it loud enough for anyone waiting inside by the doors to hear as well. 

"You 'lieutenants'," Rick spoke up after bringing his attention away from the dark cloud of smoke. "You're gonna have to make up your minds."

"Maybe we can take a time-out here?" Gavin suggested, standing awkwardly to the left of Negan.

"No, this has to happen now," Rick insisted. "This is the only way," He scoffed as an idea formed in his head as Negan glared at them from where he stood. "You're gonna make me count?" Parker shuddered at the words, remembering the night in the woods when Negan had said the exact same thing to Rick before convincing him that he would have to cut off Carl's arm. It felt good to hear him repeat the words to Negan on his own terms. Letting everyone know that Rick Grimes was back and that he would take down anyone who tried to mess with him or stand in his way. "Okay," Rick chuckled slightly when Negan didn't say anything. "Okay. I'm counting. Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven..!" Rick cocked his gun and started shooting, causing the rest of the group to start shooting. 

They aimed at the windows, breaking the glass and killing any snipers who might have been hidden there. After the windows were blown out, everyone returned to their cars and began honking their horns, intending to make as much noise as possible to attract the herd of walkers to the Sanctuary. Gabriel started the RV, which had been filled up with explosives to take down the fence, and when he gave Rick the signal, he blew it up. Parker saw Negan take cover behind a destroyed dumpster and turned to Rick, who seemed determined to finish the job no matter the cost.

"Rick! He's not going anywhere! Rick! Rick! We have to go! Rick, he isn't going anywhere! We have to leave now. Rick, get in the damn car!" Parker grabbed her brother's arm, pulling him down for cover.

"We have to leave now. This isn't about you, right? It's not about you." Gabriel said to him as he ran off shooting to buy time while Parker reached into their car. She tossed the camera to Rick and he managed to take a photo of the destroyed fences before getting into the car with her.

"Hurry up!" Parker demanded as Rick slammed the door. "The herd is coming!" Parker wasted no time in putting her foot down on the accelerator and heard the tires squeal beneath them before the car pulled away from the approaching herd. She didn't see what happened to Gabriel because she was too focused on getting away from the incoming walkers. Once they were gone, Parker caught Rick's attention and gently punched him in the shoulder. "That was amazing!" Parker exclaimed. Rick raised an eyebrow at her excitement.

"Are you high?"

"High on adrenaline," Parker responded as she grabbed the steering wheel. "God, what a day. Negan looked like he was about to shit himself."