Rick followed Daryl closely, each step toward the cells felt like a step towards purgatory. Negan was the devil, he had dropped him, stolen his mate, killed their people, raped and impregnated Daryl, and forced him cut his own sons arm off.

Rick could feel himself fuming, anger rose with each step. Yet Daryl's scent remained the same, his breathing didn't grow uneven, and he seemed to be humming low to himself.

"Daryl I don't think this is a good idea."

"You need to just talk, please."

Rick bit his lip, he didn't want to argue but he hated this plan. "Daryl..."

"Please.."

"Fine... if it will make you happy. If he makes a mistake, I'm going to kill him as soon as our pup is born."

Daryl nodded in understanding, he still didn't agree with it, but if he didn't know what else to do. They opened the door to the jail cell and Negan pushed himself off the cell bed and pushed himself against the bars. "Daryl, oh baby, how is our puppy?"

Rick stepped up behind Daryl and Negan's eyes locked with Rick's. "Rick."

"Negan."

"Negan, you have to promise that you aren't going to do anything that will undermine this community, that you see Rick as your alpha."

Negan frowned before looking back at Daryl. "Daryl..."

"Please, or they're going to kill you once our puppy is born. Negan."

"I wouldn't rise up against your people Rick, wouldn't have anyone to follow me even if I wanted to but I don't see you as my alpha."

"Negan!" Daryl hissed. "Y-."

"No no, he was honest, he doesn't see me as his alpha, yet."

Negan snarled, his fangs exposed. "Yet?"

"You'll see me as your alpha eventually, after all he is my omega now, and you're in a cage. I decide what happens to you, and if you live or die."

"Please stop both of you, I can't have you both after one another constantly, just stop." Daryl hissed. Rick raised a brow before turning back to him.

"Daryl," Rick raised his voice, "I told you he needed to be honest, one way or another."

Daryl lowered his eyes then looked from Rick to Negan. "I'm both of yours, both of yours to share if you just stop."

The two alphas froze at that statement, theirs to share. "Daryl."

"I'm both of yours, and that means I want both of you to live. I know you may not agree with me Rick, and I know Negan fucked up and made mistakes, he was psychotic, and he and I both know that. He knows he went too far with Carl, we talked about that, he knows and I know.. Rick, you've got to understand."

"Daryl, I don't understand. This man raped and impregnated you, killed our family, h-he hurt Carl..."

"I'm venom bonded to him, you and I both know that. I'm venom bonded to both of you."

Negan smirked a bit realizing that out of all of this mess, Daryl was on the side of keeping him alive. "Ricky, I swear to you, I will never raise a hand against our kids against. I know I messed up... I swear it, I would even let you take my hand if you wanted, even the score."

"It would be useless to do that, keeping you in tact would help us more." Rick replied.

"Like I thought, you need him."

Rick looked between the two of them before he decided to fuck with Negan a bit. "Fine, but I'm alpha. Top alpha."

Negan rolled his eyes. "I already told you, I do not see you as my al-."

"Negan shut up." Daryl hissed. Negan closed his mouth, not wishing to upset his omega any further.

"Fine, if you want to be top dog, I will let you be top dog. Happy?"

"Very." Rick remarked. "With that, I always get to be the one to use the alpha voice on Daryl."

Daryl turned to Rick with a scowl. Rick knew how much he hated the alpha voice, it had been part of their tension in the prison, but now that they were venom bonded Rick had to be careful with the words he used, or else Daryl was forced to listen even when that hadn't been the intent of his words.

Negan liked using it on Daryl, but Rick was supposed to know he hated it, and that he wasn't supposed to use it unless he absolutely needed to.

"Anything else Ricky?" Negan asked, wrapping his hands tightly around the bars, anger radiating off of him. "Anything else?"

"If I want to have my fun, I do it while you watch, just so you remember who is in charge."

"What?" They both asked in unison.

Daryl rolled his eyes at his mate. "You can't be serious."

"I am. I'm very serious."

"You don't think I am just going to let you fuck my mate in front of me."

"Why not? You did the same to me, you made me watch you rape him after af-." Rick grew silent and Negan looked him over.

"Fine... I suppose I owe you that."

"Hello.. We are talking about me here, not just you all getting to do whatever you want."

The two alphas looked to Daryl, then back to one another. "Daryl's right," Rick muttered, "he has a say, as our mate. Omegas are vital now, he is rare... we need to protect him. Keep him safe."

Negan nodded. "That I can agree with you."

Daryl smiled. "Glad to see you're both coming to an agre-" Daryl groaned as he felt a kick to his stomach. Both alphas froze looking at one another for a moment before turning back to Daryl.

"Daryl?"

"The pup, that's all."

"Puppy is fine?" Negan asked, Rick finally saw an actual moment of humanity in Negan as he suddenly changed trajectory from anger to genuine love and fear for Daryl.

"As far as we know..."

"Wh-what do you mean as far as we know? Has anyone checked on them? O-."

"I have an appointment next week, everything has been fine Negan, alpha I-."

Rick let out a low grumble at hearing Negan being called alpha from his omega. "Both of you, I'm fine... The puppy is fine, I would be more fine if we weren't in this jail cell. So are we going to move on and let Negan out or are we going to sit and yell at one another anymore? Maybe I can get an earlier appointment where both of you can be there? How does that sound? We need to rebuild our community, we need to do whatever we can do to rebuild and be ready for whatever life throws at us."

The two men locked eyes and Negan offered his hand through the bars. Rick took it and nodded. "Fine, but if you make one mistake as soon as m- as soon as our puppy is born, you are dead."

"I can handle that. I won't make any mistakes. I swear."

Daryl smiled wide. "Glad to see you're finally coming to your senses, the two of you."

Negan only nodded, Rick unlocked the cell door and opened it. As soon as Negan had the chance he raced forward and picked Daryl up holding him close. "My baby.. I'm so glad you're okay.. And our baby.." He moved his hand down to his belly, feeling a few kicks. He held Daryl tight, kissing him lovingly. Rick cleared his throat in agitation, and Negan turned back towards him.

Rick yelped as Negan wrapped his arms around Rick. "Since we are mates now, you're venom bonded to Daryl, I'm venom bonded to Daryl. You're my mate now too."

"Don't push your luck." Rick grunted as he pulled away from Negan.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Ricky, after all you wanted to be top dog huh?"

"Should be you topping and all."

"Negan, don't be nasty."

"I'm not nasty, we are mates, even if he doesn't like it. You know that, we both are fathering our pup. His venom would have changed their DNA, our venom bond changed your son and daughter to be mine too."

Rick exposed his fangs. "My son will never be yours, you made me mutilate him."

"Don't fight." Daryl hissed pushing himself between the two despite his leg wound that was still healing. "Please stop, both of you."

They both froze looking at their omega. "Sorry 'mega."

"You should be now lets go home."

"Do I get a bed or am I in the dog house?"

"You should be in the dog house." Rick snarled. "You'll share our bed, since you're right, we are mates."

Negan grinned he didn't let Rick say a word as he picked Daryl up bridal style and nodded to Rick. "Lead the way."

Rick lowered his eyes but nodded at his statement, he opened the door to the jail and held it open for Negan to walk. Negan held Daryl tight as he made his way up the stairs and smiled standing in the light.

"Back on top." He smiled wide before lowering his head so only Daryl could hear what he had to say. "I promise 'mega, I will do whatever necessary to keep you safe, and I will do what you ask, but I need you to know you and our child come first. Jude and Carl too, then after that everyone else goes down the line."

Daryl nodded at him and leaned his head against his shoulder. "I think it's time for you to meet Alexandria as a member of the community, not as someone trying to dictate who lives and who dies."