CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR,
glenn rhee and abraham ford.

"It." Negan said, "anybody moves, anybody says's anything cut the boys other eye and feed it to his father and then we'll start. You can breathe, you can blink, you can cry. Hell, you're all gonna be doing that."

He brought the bat down.

Aiden gasped sharply.

Abraham.

The man she'd grown to love, one of the men who vowed to protect her little one.

Abraham.

Abraham.

Abraham.

"Woah! Taking it like a champ!" Negan shouted.

"Suck... my... nuts." Abraham managed to get out. Negan grunted and slammed his bat down once again. Aiden watched as he repeatedly slammed it down on her friend's head.

His once ginger hair was now coated in a new red.

Blood.

His blood.

She could hear her people crying. She flinched when his blood landed on her face. She gripped her knees tightly.

"Did you hear that? He said suck my nuts! Phew." The man laughed. He landed more blows on his head. Aiden let out a sob and turned her head away.

"Oh, my goodness. Look at this!" He twirled his bat and blood splattered across Rick's face. "You guys, look at my dirty girl!" He moved to Rosita.

"Sweetheart, lay your eyes on this. Oh, damn." Negan made the connect, "were you- were you together? Sucks. But if you were, you should know there's a reason for all this. Red- and hell, he was, is, and will ever be red. He just took one or six or seven for the team! So take... a damn look. Take a damn look!" Daryl shot up and punched the man.

"No!" Aiden yelled when two of the men tackled him. "Daryl!" She went to get up but Payton quickly grabbed her arm. Her eyes didn't stray from where Daryl was pinned on the ground.

"Please," Aiden begged.

"No!" Negan yelled. "Oh, no." He chuckled. "That? Oh, my! That... is a no-no. The whole thing- not one bit of the shit flies here."

The blonde man, Dwight, held Daryl's own crossbow as his head, "do you want me to do it? Right here."

"Please!" Aiden pleaded, tears rolling calm her face, "please, let him go."

"No. No, you don't kill them... not until you try a little." Negan replied to Dwight. The men dragged Daryl back into line.

"But anyways... that's not how it works. Now, I already told you people- first ones free, then what'd I say? I said I would shut that shit down! No exceptions. Now, I don't know what kind of lying assholes you've been dealing with... but I'm a man of my word. First impressions are important. I need you to know me. So... back to it."

And Negan slammed his bat down again.

Right into Glenn Rhee.

Glenn.

Glenn.

Glenn.

A world-splitting scream echoed in the clearing.

"No!" A wife cried. Maggie Rhee watched in nothing but shock and sorrow as blood trickled Glenn's face.

Aiden Dixon shakily tried to catch her breath as she looked at her best friend. Her throat throbbed from the scream she'd uttered.

Her mind raced a million thoughts.

G.

This is a nightmare.

He isn't dead.

This can't be happening.

L.

No, no, no.

Why is this happening?

This isn't real.

E.

Wake up.

Please, no.

Glenn, this isn't a funny joke.

N.

God, not him.

Stop.

Stop this... please.

N.

Please, not him.

Not my Glenn.

No.

GLENN!

Aiden bit back a sob as the monster leaned down so he could look at Glenn's face.

"Buddy, you still there? I just don't know. It seems like you're trying to speak, but you just took a hell of a hit. I just popped your skull so hard, your eyeball just popped out, and it is gross as shit!"

"M-Maggie, I'll find you." Glenn gurgled out before saying something they didn't expect him to say, "A-Aid, I'll- look- look for you."

The two women, Glenn's girls, couldn't breath. A sob cut through Aiden's throat. Her hands fell off her knees and into the gravel below. Her fingers curled into the ground and she didn't care about the pain in her hands.

"Oh. Oh, hell. I can see this is hard on you guys. I am sorry. I truly am. But I did say. No exceptions!" He hit Glenn again. Aiden gasped hollowly.

"No." She whispered.

No, no, no.

"You bunch of pussies. I'm just getting started."

Aiden clenched her eyes shut and swallowed harshly.

She was going to throw up.

"What? Was the joke that bad?" Negan asked Rick.

Aiden's eyes peeled open. She was struggling to stay upright. Payton saw and despite his own tears, he reached out and grabbed Aiden's arm.

She couldn't help as another sob left her mouth.

Glenn.

Her best friend since the start of everything was gone.

The man she'd joked with, cried with. One of the few men she loved with her entire being.

They'd been separated before but never permanently.

This was as permanent as it could get.

Negan looked down at her. Her eyes cut up, the same glare from earlier had made its way back to her eyes.

"Damn, I'm sorry, Mama. Was he your friend?"

Negan crouched in front of her and smiled at her. "There's that look again. Be careful." He hissed. "Wouldn't want me to beat someone's else brains in. Would ya?"

Aiden let out a sound that was between a growl and a sob. She bared her teeth, "my best friend, you son of a bitch." She could barely get the words of her mouth.

Negan examined her. Her chocolate brown eyes, her shoulder length hair, the tears in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks, the dots of Abraham's blood that littered the left side of her face, the deadly look that hadn't left her eyes despite her looming threat.

"I like you." He grinned. He heard Daryl let out low sound.

"I'm gonna kill you." Rick said.

Rick Grimes's eyes were cold, filled with tears. He saw the way Negan looked at Aiden, the way he watched her.

He wanted to get the monster's attention off of her at fast as possible.

If not, Aiden would die.

And so would little baby Elliot. 

"What?" Negan's eyes cut over to him. He stood and moved over to the leader.

"Not today... not tomorrow... but I'm gonna kill you." Rick threatened.

"Jesus. Simon... what'd he have, a knife?" Negan asked.

"Uh, he had a hatchet." Simon, the Savior from earlier, replied.

"A hatchet?" Negan quizzed.

"He had an axe." Simon replied.

"Simon's my right hand man. Having one of those is important. I mean, what do you have left without them? A whole lot of work. Do you have one? Maybe one of these fine people still breathing? Oh. Or did I..." Negan clicked his tongue. "Sure. Yeah. Give me his axe." He handed Negan the axe and Negan stood before grabbing Rick and dragging him towards the RV. "I'll be right back. Maybe Rick will be with me. If not, we can just turn these people inside out, won't we? I mean... the ones that are left."

»

She stood by her friend, "look at 'em." Glenn said when Rick approached the two. "Vultures. Yeah, go on. Strip it clean!" Glenn said to the man as they took part the beautiful car.

"Generators need every drop of fuel they can get." Dale said to the boy, "got no power without it, sorry Glenn."

Glenn's disappointment seemed to seep into Aiden's bones as well. "Thought I'd get to drive at least a few more days." Glenn stated.

"Maybe we'll get to steal another one someday." Rick said and Aiden raised a brow.

"Wow, Mr. Grimes, never thought I'd hear those words escape your mouth." Aiden laughed. Rick grinned at her before walking away from the set of best friends.

Aiden looked up at Glenn, "aw, is my Glenny-Poo sad?" She pinched his cheeks. He swatted at her hand.

"No." He huffed. Aiden raised her eyebrows.

"Okay, whatever you say, big boy." Aiden said with a sly smirk. Glenn rolled his eyes and shoved her lightly.

"You're so childish." Glenn said to her. Aiden faked a hurt expression.

"Glenn! How could-"

»

Glenn Rhee and Aiden Dixon never got to steal a car together.

The RV pulled back up to the clearing. The RV sat there before Rick was shoved out of the door, Aiden sighed in relief. Rick was still alive. Negan dragged him back to the group. "Here we are. Let me ask you something Rick- do you even know what that little trip was about?"

Rick didn't say anything, "speak when your spoken to." Negan said to the man.

"Okay. Okay." Rick said quietly.

"That trip was about the way you looked at me. I wanted you to change that. I wanted you to understand. But you're still looking at me the same damn way... like I shit in your scrambled eggs and that's not gonna work. So... do I give you another chance?" Negan crouched down beside him.

"Yeah. Yes. Yes."

"Okay. Alright. And here it is- the grand prize game. What you do next will decide whether your crap day becomes everyone's last crap day or just another crap day." Negan said. "Get some guns to the back of their heads. Good now... level with their noses, so if you have to fire..." Negan imitated an explosion, "it'll be a real mess. Kid..." he motioned for Carl, "right here. Kid... now."

Aiden let the panic returning. "You a southpaw?" Negan asked Carl. He took off his belt.

"Am I a what?" Carl asked harshly.

"You a lefty?" Negan rephrased his question.

"No."

"Good," Negan put his belt on Carl's arm, "that hurt?"

"No." Carl replied.

"Should. It's supposed to. Alright. Get down on the ground, kid, next to daddy. Spears them wings." Negan pushed Carl onto the ground beside rich.

"Simon... you got a pen?" Negan asked his right hand.

"Yeah." Simon replied and there the man a marker. Negan caught it and kneeled doen beside Carl.

"Sorry, kid," he took the top off of the marker, "this is gonna be as cold as a warlock's ballsack, just like he was hanging his ballasck above you and dragging it right across the forearm." He drew a line across Carl's forearm. "There you go. Gives you a little leverage."

Aiden could hear Rick begging Negan, "please. Please. Please don't."

"Me? I ain't doing shit" Negan stood, "ahh. Rick, I want you to take your ax... cut your sons's left arm off, right on that line. Now, I know- I know. You're gonna have to process that for a second. That makes sense. Still, though, I'm gonna need you to do it or all these people are gonna die, which includes the baby. Then, Carl dies... then the people back home die... and then you, eventually. I'm gonna keep you breathing for a few years, just so you can stew on it."

"You- you don't have to do this. We understand. We understand." Michonne said suddenly.

"You understand. Yeah. I'm not sure that Rick does. I'm gonna need a clean cut right there on that line. Now, I know this is a screwed up thing to ask, but's it's gonna have to be like a salami slice- nothing messy, clean, forty-five degrees- give us something to fold over. We got a great doctor. The kid'll be fine. Probably. Rick... this needs to happen now- chop, chop- or I will crush the little fellas skull myself." Negan said to Rick threateningly.

"It can- it can be me. It can be me. W-w- you can do it to me. I c- I can go with- with you." Rick begged and it broke Aiden's heart.

"No. This is the only way. Rick... pick up the ax. Not making a decision is a big decision. You really want to see all these people die? You will.  You will see every ugly thing. Oh, my God. Are you gonna make me count? Okay, Rick, you win. I am counting. Three!"

"Please!" Rick sobbed, "it can be me. Please!" Negan knelt down.

"Two!" The evil man shouted.

"Please, don't do-" Negan slapped Rick before grabbed his face, "this is it." Negan said to him.

Rick yelled out and Aiden closed her eyes, "one!" She opened her eyes when she heard Negan's voice.

"Rick. You answer to me. You provide for me. You belong to me. Right?" Negan asked him. Rick nodded. Negan grabbed his face angrily. "Speak when you're spoken to! You answer to me. You prove for me. You belong to me, right!?"

"Right." He said breathlessly.

"Right. That... is the look I wanted to see." Negan stood and grabbed the ax. "We did it, all of us, together... even the dead guys on the ground. Hell, they get a spirit award, for sure. Today was productive damn day! Now, I hope, for all your sake... that you get it now... that you understand how things work. Things have changed. Whatever you had going for you... that is over now. Dwight... load him up." He pointed at Daryl.

"What?" Aiden's breathless voice asked. She looked frantically at Daryl. "No, no, no! Please! Don't take him!

"No!" They all heard Daryl shout, "no, Aiden! Aiden!"

"Don't take him!" She cried with a choked sob as the loaded him into one of the trucks. Their eyes locked seconds before the door slammed shut.

"He's got guts... not a little bitch like someone I know. I like him. He's mine now. But you still want to try something? Not today, not tomorrow? "Not today, not tomorrow"? I will cut pieces off of... hell's his name?"

"Daryl." Simon replied.

"Wow. That actually sounds right. I will cut pieces off of Daryl and put them on your doorstep- or better, I will bring him to her-" he pointed at Aiden, "his baby mama, and have her do it for me. Think about how that'll destroy her? I mean how much more can she take after today, huh? Think she can handle that?" Negan stood with a chuckle. Aiden glared at the man through her tears. "Ahh. Welcome to a brand-new story, you sorry shits! I'm gonna leave you a truck. Keep it. Use it to cart all the crap you're gonna find me. We'll be back for our first offering in one week, until then... ta-ta."

The group all stayed in their places as the Saviors left the clearing.

Aiden stayed in her spot, her hands still digging into the gravel, she could feel little cuts opening on her palms.

Aiden stared at Glenn's body.

Glenn.

Glenn.

Glenn.

The Saviors were finally all gone and the group stayed sitting until Maggie started to stand.

"Maggie, Maggie." Rick said. "Maggie... you need to sit down. Maggie." He stood.

"No." The woman replied, "we need to get you to the Hilltop."

"You need to go get ready." Maggie said.

"For what?"

"To fight them." She said.

"They have Daryl," he looked at Aiden briefly, "they have an army. We would die- all of us."

"Go home. Take everybody with you. I can get there by myself." Maggie's voice started to break.

"You can barely stand." Rick said to her.

"You need to go to Alexandria. You were out- out here for me."

"We still are." Rick said.

Maggie broke down into sobs once more and Payton helped Aiden stand. "I can make it now. I need you to go back. I can't have you out here.  I can't have you all out here anymore. I need you to go back." Maggie sobbed.

"Maggie... we're not letting you go. Okay?" Michonne said to the woman.

"You have to."

"It's not gonna happen." Rick said softly. Sasha stood and made her way over.

"I'm taking her. I'll take Aiden, too." Sasha said to the group. "I'm gonna get them there. I'm gonna keep 'em safe. I'm not giving you a choice." She said the last bit to Maggie.

"I'm taking him with me." Maggie said. She knelt down beside her late husband's body.

"I need to do this. Please." Maggie begged.

"We need to help you." Aaron said to her.

Aiden covered her mouth and buried her head in Payton's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and closed his eyes, allowing more tears to fall.

"Pl- pl- please let us. He's our family- he's our family, too." Rick said to Maggie.

Aiden moved her head away from Payton and watched as Maggie stood and hugged Carl. Payton, Rick, Carl, and Aaron all grabbed Glenn's body and carried him towards the truck the Saviors left for them.

"Bet you thought you were all gonna grow old together, sittin' around the table at Sunday dinner and the happily ever after. No. Doesn't work like that, Rick. Not anymore."

And in once single night, their family was destroyed.

Abraham Ford and Glenn Rhee were dead.

And Aiden Dixon was more dangerous than she would ever be.

________________________________

word count: 2,856
episode: the day will come where you won't be

and there it is guys. the most heartbreaking chapter of this entire book. i actually cried while editing this chapter.

UGH MY HEART 💔☹️.

glenn and abe. two characters i will always hold very near and dear to my heart. two characters that, no matter if they are fictional, impacted my life largely.

aiden just lost one of her two best friends and it destroyed her. negan taking daryl also destroyed her quite a bit.

i considered adding one more death to this scene but decided it would be too much on aiden. and y'all and myself.

we almost said bye-bye to xavier reed this chapter but we've barley seen his character or his development yet.

but that's chapter one of act three and it's one of the most heart wrenching things i've typed in a while. i absolutely hate typing this episode and it's only my second time doing it.

the first was in fear, a glenn rhee story i have published. you should go read it 😉.

i'll only have to type it once more when i come out with my carl grimes book, danger. it starts in season five. i haven't started on it yet because i wanna finish the calamity series before i start on a new walking dead book.