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Ch. 15 - Coexist

I shuffled through my closet, looking for an outfit that I could wear to the party coming up. Rick stood in the doorframe, Rosita was leaning against my dresser, both of them watching me sift through the clothes and hangers.

"You only go through with it if you know you can get away with it," Rick rumbled, keeping his voice low in case Negan appeared. 

"They're throwing a party on Saturday night," I started to explain just how I would get away with letting Daryl go. "Everybody will be distracted, it's the perfect opportunity."

"Does Daryl know about this?" Rosita joined in. I shook my head.

"Not yet, I'm going to take him food soon and I'll fill him in," I pulled a short black dress from the rack, examining it closely. It was identical to the dresses his wives wore, but it had a matching set of lace gloves. I took it off of the hanger before folding it and gently placing the fabric in my sack, along with the gloves. I sat on my bed as I looked between my friends, preparing to explain my plan to deal with Negan.

"Rick," I began, he nodded his head in my direction as he urged me to continue. "Did Carl explain my plan to you?"

"He did," he nodded his head in confirmation. "I don't think you should follow through with it. I don't want you getting killed."

"What plan?" Rosita chimed in, confirming that she hadn't heard my idea. I looked at her, our eyes meeting.

"I was going to kill Negan. Earn his trust, slice his throat," I shrugged my shoulders as my heart dropped when the words came from my mouth. I found myself wanting him to live the more time I spent with him. "But that plan is changing," I looked back to Rick. His brows furrowed in confusion, unsure of what I was going to say next.

"What do you mean?" He catechized. I took in a deep breath before answering, knowing they wouldn't like my answer.

"I think we can come to an agreement. If anybody can convince Negan to take it easy on Alexandria, it's me," I started. "Maybe we can coexist," I continued before I was interrupted by Rick's deep chuckle.

"You think we can coexist?" He asked rhetorically. "You were there, Jade. You saw what he did to Glenn and Abraham, what he did to Spencer. We cannot coexist with him, we need a better plan to kill him-" he ranted, I cut him off as soon as the word kill slipped from his mouth.

"Rick," I sighed loudly, gesturing him into my room. He stepped in and closed the door behind him. "I'm not taking his side, you are my family. All of you. But we killed an entire outpost, almost thirty people died because of us. And I get it, we thought that was all of them, we thought we were protecting our people. Had that been the case, Glenn and Abe would still be here. But we were wrong, there were more Saviors, and now we're living in shit. Do you think Glenn wanted to kill all of those people?" I asked, silence was the only response.

"I was there," I continued. "I was with Glenn at the outpost. He didn't want to kill those people, and he suffered the consequences. All I'm saying, Rick, is that I don't want more people to die because of your pride. Either of you, including Negan," I crossed my arms over my chest, frustrated with the situation and Rick's reaction, even though I knew he wouldn't like my proposal.

"We're living in shit?" Rosita questioned, evidently pissed with me as well. "You aren't here, Jade. You don't know half the shit we're going through right now." Her brows furrowed as she narrowed her gaze in my direction, her hand moving to her hip.

"You're right," I nodded, "But I can't see you all live like this anymore, that's why-"

"No, Jade," Rick interjected again. "You know this is the only way-"