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108: ꜱɪᴄᴋ ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜱᴀᴅɴᴇꜱꜱ

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RACHEL

She searched the woods the second Daryl left. Rosita didn't notice. She was really messed up not having Sami. She would probably act like she was fine when he showed up, but whenever she was without him she kind of freaked.

Rachel thought of that, as she made her way through the trees. How love makes people act different. Was that was this was? Was that why she was going out here, now?

Rosita was one of the toughest people Rachel had ever seen. Even before she was really a part of the group. Now, even more so. But not knowing if Sami was dead or alive seemed to change her. Make her weaker, maybe.

That's why Rachel had to do this. It was time.

And as she made her way through the woods, something hit her feet.

A walker head.

Alpha's head.

Rachel looked up, seeing Negan standing there.

"Took your time."

He shrugged. "It's hard work."

She picked up the walkers head, jaws snapping. She hated that it was over for her.

"That what you wanted?"

"I don't know, yet." She looked at the jaws snapping. Why did she still act like herself?

"You don't know?" Negan scoffed. "You wanted her dead, right?"

"You know what I mean. I think. Unless you don't."

He sighed, watching her impatiently. "Yeah. I know what you mean, kid. We good to go, now?"

"Grace dead?" Rachel was surprised by the hope that she was dead. that maybe she wouldn't have to face Danny, having let his Mother out.

"No. You want her to be?"

"Only so I don't need to upset my best friend."

Negan sighed. "You did this."

"I know."

"We should get moving. Alexandria, the news. I don't know when Grace'll get out, but I can't get in, and we should make sure none of our people kill her."

Siddiq. Danny. Sami. Connie. Magna.

"Why did it take so long?" Rachel looked up from the face to him. 

"What took me so long? Doing your dirty work?" He scoffed. "I don't know, I guess I wanted to get out of there with my and Grace's heads still attached. Shit like that takes time."

"Running doesn't. Bet you got her alone plenty o' times and didn't kill her." She felt anger rising in her throat. 

"It is done. Now, I held up my end, I am asking you to hold up yours. Just walk me through those gates so I can open up a new chapter in the Book of Negan."

Rachel glanced down at her shoe. Blood was seeping through it from her toe. "Can we wait a minute?"

"Wait a-" He scoffed. "They're out here."

"I can't walk." She was feeling too many emotions, honestly, and going back meant showing herself that Danny and Sami were really dead. "I got bitten, in the caves, and they cut my toes off, I think. I haven't seen it. But it hurts a lot and i need to do something."

He sighed, deeply, but she could already tell she got through to him. "Fine. Be quick."

SAMI

Sami walked in the door of the old house to see people he didn't fully recognize, but his people. Magna had climbed off his back a little while ago, but got him to tie her hair up again so she looked cleaner to see everyone. 

Jerry was the first to see her, engulfing her in a hug, and Sami made his way past them.

"She's here." Nabila, Jerry's wife smiled at him as he walked over to the small room she was in with her children, to see Rosita trying to sit up from her spot laying on the crouch.

"Oh, you're alive." Sami kneeled beside her, pulling her in for a hug, though he was careful, unsure of where she was hurt. He kissed the side of her head, before pulling back. "You okay?"

"Just a bruise." She lifted her shirt to show a large, dark bruise on her stomach, hissing in pain as she did so. 

"Think it's bad? Like internal bleeding bad?"

"I don't know. We haven't found Alex. But I'm feeling . . . not good."

Sami stayed with her, Danny coming over to lay his head on Sami's shoulder and fall asleep. Everyone was exhausted, but alive. Danny was frightened for Rachel, wherever she'd gone. Daryl had gone out looking for her, and Danny wanted to go, too, but Daryl didn't let him. Since Sami hadn't been back yet, he used that to make Danny stay. 

Eugene told everyone about Stephanie, and that they had set up a meeting place a week from now, and that he was going. Ezekiel had his back, too.

So, they were gearing them up to go. Danny managed to find some of the horses in the woods and got them back to the group with Kelly.

Danny pulled Sami aside as the pair got ready to go, looking rather anxious. 

"I think I want to go with them," He signed.

Sami felt sick. Out, into the world? They didn't know how dangerous it was, beyond their own land. They didn't know how far mankind had fallen, if Stephanie was really any good, or if her people were. They didn't know anything. 

They were sat on the porch of the house. Danny had his knees pulled up under his arms. He looked tired. And old. 

"I can't go with you." Sami sighed. "I want to, but-"

"Coco. I know. That's not what I'm saying. I think I need to do this." At Sami's confused face, Danny continued. "We've been through this so many times. We lost the farm to fire. We lost the prison the same way - even Alexandria. And I know we've survived every time, but maybe it's time we try something new. I can't just keep repeating this my entire life, I need to change things. And I think going out - looking for this girl is going to change things - for better or worse. But it's a chance. I mean, life keeps going. It's not like it was when we lost the farm and all. Now we've got to build a world for Jerry's kids and my niece. It'll keep going after us. I just want to make sure it's better for them than it is for me."

 Sami wasn't sure what to say. He didn't want him to go. He knew he hadn't seen much of Danny, with him running Hilltop and Sami being so obsessed with keeping Rosita and Coco safe, but he was always just in Hilltop. Now, he was venturing into the unknown. Who even knew how Sami would find out if he died?

"Just think of it like I'm going to college." Danny signed with a grin. "You got to go, why not I?"

"That's just as bad. Papa hated the idea of me leaving for college."

Danny put a hand on Sami's shoulder. "I'll be fine. I always have been. I'll with the others. I think I need this. We need this."

Sami looked at him for a moment, before taking the battered rosary beads from his wrist, and handing them to Danny. "I don't know if you're religious, but that's not the point."

But he had a rather proud smile on his face, as he put the beads around his neck. "I'll give them back when I get home. With new friends."

Sami hugged him, tightly, and realized how much time they'd spent together, how he'd watched Danny go from a scared little boy who liked drawing to a probably 20 year old man who was willing to put his life on the line for his people. 

Honestly, he couldn't have been prouder. but he didn't want to say that now. When there may be no future. He'd tell Danny when he got back.