The Replacement

Part Eighteen

Warning:

***********

It was the next morning, and everyone had gathered at the rendezvous point, some were injured but mostly everyone was just glad to be alive after the nightmare that was the Whisperers. You parted ways with Gabriel and the rest once getting there, after making sure Judith and R.J were safe; you stood to the side, silently studying the happy reunion between friends and family and that's when you noticed Lydia and Carol making their way to the group.

"Is it...?" Jerry speaks up.

"It is..." Lydia replies with a proud smirk.

"Thanks to her..." Carol remarks placing an arm around Lydia.

"And her..." Lydia responds in reference to Carol, and everyone lets out a united sigh of relief.

You watched as Lydia walks up towards Negan. "You're still here..."

"For now..." he replies with a faint smile. "That is if Y/N still wants me around" he then stares at you with a sad look on his face.

"I'm sure that she would" Lydia responds, stepping closer to him for a hug and a faint smile crosses your lips as you watched the two of them.

Lydia turns to look at you then and you motion with a finger for her to approach you. "I thought that I told you not to go out there" you frown at her in disapproval."

"You told me; not to go alone..." she replies, "I wasn't."

"You're being a smartass now, are ya?" you smirk at her in amusement, and she responds with a smile of her own. "C'mere..." you spread your arms open, and she steps forward for a hug. "I'm just glad you're safe..."

"So is Negan..." she remarks, looking up at you.

"I noticed he is, yeah..." you respond, staring towards him then. The two of you continued to silently stare at each other; even after Lydia had stepped away, you motion then with a silent tilt of your head for him to follow you.

"I'm glad you're safe" Negan speaks up.

"I'm glad you are too..." you respond, studying him with a narrowed gaze. "Lydia told me that you eventually went out to help them with Beta."

"Yeah, the talk with you and the kid knocked some sense into me" he replies, staring down at the ground. He then looks up at you sheepishly, "I didn't kiss him though."

You laugh out at his remark with a shake of your head. With a faint smile of his own, Negan stares at you yearningly. "You still pissed at me?"

"I wasn't pissed at you..." you sigh out, "I understand why you did it. I don't like the idea that it happened, but I understand."

"We ok?" Negan looks at you hopefully.

"We're ok..." you nod with a smile, and he steps up closer to you. Negan stares down at you, silently asking for permission and you nod at him, stepping closer as he opens his arms for you to step into.

"I love you..." Negan whispers, placing a kiss into your hair.

Looking up at him, you smile, "I love you too."

With a smile of his own, Negan tips down then; pressing a soft kiss against your lips. "Come on, lets' go home..."

*****

Negan and you were busy seeing to the loading of the transportation wagons heading for Alexandria. "Y'all be safe..." Negan calls out as the last wagon pulls away, revealing Maggie and Judith standing on the other side of it.

Oh, shit. You thought to yourself as Judith and you both nervously stared at the silent stare-down between the two.

"Hey, Maggie" Negan finally speaks up and she remains silently giving him a dead-stare. Negan's head drops slightly, "I didn't escape, if that's what you think."

Maggie doesn't respond, silently walking away instead. "Well, shit" Negan shuts his eyes with a heavy sigh, Judith and you both remain standing there in silence; awkwardly staring at each other over the interaction.

"I forgot to warn you that Maggie was back" you grip Negan's hand in support.

"How could you have known that she was back?" Negan stares down at you frowning. "You were here, with the rest of the evacuees."

"No, she wasn't..." Judith remarks, and you cringe at her ratting you out.

"What?!" Negan looks at you with shocked surprise.

"About that..." you respond with a guilty grin.

"Where were you?" Negan narrows his eyes at you.

"She stayed behind at the hospital with Gabriel to fight the Whisperers, so that we could escape" Judith rats you out further.

"You did what?!" Negan yells out, staring at you in disbelief.

"Thanks for ratting me out, you lil snitch..." you grumble out at Judith.

"Sorry, Aunt Y/N..." Judith stares down at the ground sadly.

"It's ok, Kiddo" you wrinkle your nose at her with a wink and she smiles when realizing you weren't truly mad at her. "Go on..." you nod with your head, "get your butt home."

"Didn't I tell you not to do anything stupid?" Negan stares at you with a narrowed gaze of disapproval.

"I couldn't leave Gabriel by himself to fight" you defend your actions. "They would have killed him."

"They could have killed you too!" Negan growls out.

"They didn't, ok..." you respond with an eye roll, "Maggie and 'Scorpion' came to our rescue."

"So, you guys nearly were killed!" Negan throws his hands up in disbelief. "Scorpion?" Negan then frowns at you in confusion.

"Some dude that she came with..." you respond with a shrug, "has this weird metal mask on, kinda reminds me of Scorpion from Mortal Kombat."

Negan shakes his head, laughing at your remark. "You really are a piece of work."

"I know..." you flash him a toothy grin, "and you love me for it."

"That I do..." Negan smirks, pulling you against him for a kiss. "Let's get the hell back home."