VITRIOL | Shane Walsh

XXII

"Now where is that wonderful wife of mine Rick? She in there somewhere?"  Negan shouted up at Alexandria's leader who was high up on the guard's platform. Their trucks had arrived outside our gates not long ago and we all went into a mild panic. Rick kept a straight look on his face as he gazed beyond the walls.

"Why do you need her?"

"Well if you're not going to listen to old Eugene here I'd prefer she not face the consequences." What Consequences? Rick finally looked down from his perch and silently asked whether I wanted to make an appearance. I leant up, kissed Shane on the cheek before pushing my way through the crowd and climbing up to see.

"What do you want Negan?" I asked passively.

"I'd like you to come and sit your pretty little head on this side of the wall while we deal with Rick's group here" Jadis the leader of the scavengers prodded the end of her gun into my shoulder and I shot her a stern look. She didn't lower and remained steadfast in her stance.

"This is my group too, Negan. I don't want your special treatment"

"Surely you don't want your boy here watching his momma get hurt" He waved a finger in his direction and Caleb stepped forward from within the group. A firm arm was wrapped around his shoulders as Negan jabbed Lucille in Ricks direction.

"Come on Rick, stop being a prick. Just let us talk half your shit"

"I can't do that" Rick sternly replied and Negan began to smirk. He walked up to a coffin I only just noticed and knocked it twice with the infamous Lucille.

"Sash, you're not gonna believe this crap"

As the door creaked open the re-animated corpse belonging to Sasha tackled him off the platform. Below us descended into chaos as the Scavengers, Saviors and Alexandrians were fighting and Shane was nowhere to be seen. I shifted to look over the edge and Jadis jumped at the opportunity to push me over. Rick made a feeble attempt to save me but I soon dropped down to the ground and landed with a sickening crack to the leg.

I was drawn back to the memory of Shane almost snapping his ankle that night at the school. He still had the power to fight yet I was rendered useless. No one was really paying attention to me as I braced myself up against the metal fencing so I took the chance to catch my breath. We were outnumbered by a ridiculous amount. For every man we had, they had two.

It couldn't have been long that past when it all started to settle down. I began to close my eyes nearly falling asleep when someone had grabbed both my arms and lifted me to my feet. Simon really bothered while I was at Sanctuary and now he was dragging me through a war zone while I screamed and cursed in agony.

Members of Alexandria had been lined up to kneel in rows and the most shocking of the ordeal was Rick, Carl and Shane sat at the very front with the big bad wolfs undivided attention.

"Negan" Simon shouted, "I found your Mrs". I saw him pat Shane on the cheek twice in a degrading manner and stand up to look at us.

"Hey, not so rough. You'll damage the goods" he glanced down at the limp I was sporting "or damage them more than they already are"

As I was forced in front of Negan, I swatted away Simons hands from my arms. Everyone's eyes were trained on us sizing each other up and I was significantly smaller. I wasn't necessarily small, he was just big.

"So lover boy isn't dead"  he lifted his finger to pull up my face. "I don't appreciate you lying" I kept silent as he dropped his hand and squatted back down in front of Shane. The bridge they once built had well and truly been burnt.

"You had fun screwing my wife?"  Negan seethed out and a frown stretched across his face.

"Yeah man, I have. I think you're missing one  little detail though"

"And what would that be Deputy? Hmm?" Both of them leant into each other's faces to try and exert as much dominance as possible but it was near enough impossible for Shane to win as he was knelt on the ground with a gun aimed at his head.

"That's she's not your wife. She never was. Shew mine and always will be"  He finally finished and Negan genuinely seemed to be annoyed. He rose back up from a grouch and gave Shane a quick kick to the gut. A firm breath of air flew out his lungs and he doubled over in pain. Negan waved his hand in a gesturing motion and Caleb stepped forward once again grabbing the bat being held out.

"Son," Negan finally broke from the scene and looked at him "Kill one of them" he gestured at Carl, Rick and Shane.

"No!" I screamed and tried to leap forward only to collapse on the floor from my injury. "Just take me, let them go!"

"Without punishment? I've already let it slide that they were keeping you away from me so, Caleb, choose." We waited in silence as I saw the cogs in Caleb's head turn with each passing moment. It felt like an eternity passed but it was only a snap decision when his grip tightened around the handle.

He raised the bat over his shoulder and he went to stand in front of Shane.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? THAT'S YOUR DAD"  I shouted at my once little boy and his sight never wavered from the man I loved.

"Shut up. Once he's gone you can finally start acting like my mother and only care about me and Negan" I opened my mouth to speak again when Negan gestured to Simon restraining me to cover my words with his hand. I wriggled and screamed until I could no longer see beyond the tears.

"Just do it, Caleb. Just know I'm sorry I was never there." Shane said with him talking in his calm and comforting voice.  

I slowed in my actions and watched the scene before me unfold. Lucille began to rise in the air as the Saviours and captured Alexandrians looked on in a mix of emotions. In the corner of my eye I caught a slight movement but what I didn't expect when the bat was mere inches away from the impact was for a tiger to appear from nowhere.

Reinforcements had arrived and I was pushed to the floor as the weaponized men and women scurried back to their vehicles. The small family I had with me took off running behind friendly lines and contributed to the slaughter with whatever we were handed. Shane crawled over and shielded my body with his until gunfire died down.

He lifted his weight off me before smiling at me with a goofy expression. We'd almost lost each other again, I almost lost him but it wasn't our time yet. Shane lifted me up off the ground and supported my weight as Maggie bounded over and engulfed me in a sideways hug.

"Nice to see you again Mags," He said with genuine sincerity.

"Wish I could say the same for you...Nah I'm just kidding" she laughed and gave him a quick hug too.

"Hey, lay off the jokes he almost just got killed" 

"He's alive and breathing, I'm sure he can handle them"

"Yeah about that, where'd the tiger come from?" Shane questioned.

"Oh you know, she was just wondering around the woods and wanted to help" she teased before I gave her a stern look to show I wasn't impressed with the sarcasm. "Shiva is from the Kingdom. They allied with us so now we have enough men and one big feline cat to take down sanctuary"

"So you're taking the fight to them?" Shane asked.

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting" Maggie confirmed.

"Sounds like a plan. I'm in" I joined in when both of them looked down to hint at my leg. Maybe I'd have to get patched up first but as soon as I was fighting shape I was prepared to give my life for these people and our future.

- - -

I'm so sorry I haven't been updating as frequently. My wifi has been down and due to the big bad world's event at the moment no one has been able to pop round to fix it. Hope everyone safe and since I'm in self-isolation I should have time to update a bit more. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT!