Remember Me

Negan.

When Rick lost Negan, it had been early on in the apocalypse. Rick and his group had moved on, and eventually, after losing almost everyone, he found Alexandria, with his new group. With Michonne, and Daryl, and Maggie, and Carol, and Glenn. He was grateful for his family, he really was. That's what they were to him. But, he couldn't help but wonder how it could've gone differently if Negan had stayed around. If he hadn't lost him. After he lost Lori before the apocalypse, he fell for Negan quickly. They stuck together, and Negan helped him care for Carl and Judith. Then the apocalypse hit, after Rick had been shot on duty. He thought he'd lost them all. When he found them, he'd been so relieved that they made it. So happy that Shane kept them safe. But then he found out about Negan and Shane, and everything that had happened. That was really when everything started coming apart.

A series of deaths had followed when Rick found the group. First it was Ed, then Amy, then Negan, Jim, Dr. Jenner, Jacqui, Sophia, Shane. The list went on, and now, all that was left of that original group was Rick, Carl, Judith, Carol, Daryl and Glenn. So much had changed since then, and Rick couldn't help but think about how proud Negan would be of the group. How far they'd come. Rick hadn't been with anyone since Negan. He couldn't make himself move on, because there was a tiny voice in his head that told him that Negan didn't die, that he was alive. They just had to find him.

Rick had returned from a supply run with Daryl, Carol, and Glenn the day before. It had been quite successful, and he was happy with what they found. Now, he was out on a walk around Alexandria, just to check up on everyone.

"Rick!" Michonne called his name, and he stopped walking, turning and looking at her. She caught up with him breathless, and he raised a brow.

"What's up?" he questioned.

"Something happened yesterday while you were out, I've been looking all over for you." Michonne started, and he frowned a little.

"Is everyone alright? What happened?" he asked.

"A man came to the gate yesterday. He had... a whole army of people, Rick. We couldn't fight him even if we wanted to." Michonne sighed softly, and Rick led her up onto his front porch and motioned for her to sit down.

"What did he want?" he inquired.

"He wanted half our supplies. Food, weapons, everything." Michonne replied, and Rick frowned.

"Thank god we found that food yesterday. We'll go out later, find more guns." Rick decided, and Michonne nodded.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked again.

"Yeah, everyone's fine." she responded, and he felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

"Good." he nodded. She got up, stretching a little and walking down the steps.

"Hey, did you get a name?" Rick stood up, looking at her over the railing.

"Yeah, the group called themselves the Saviours." Michonne stopped walking, turning to Rick.

"I think I've heard people at the Hilltop talk about them. How about the guy? The leader?" Rick asked, and Michonne seemed to think for a moment.

"I think his name... it started with an N..." she paused, frowning a little.

"N? Alright, we can-"

"Negan. That was his name." Michonne cut him off, and Rick felt his blood run cold.

"Negan? Are you positive?" Rick asked quietly, gripping the railing with white knuckles.

"Rick are you okay? Do you know this guy?" Michonne returned to the porch, guiding Rick onto one of the chairs.

"I'm fine." Rick replied, and she frowned a little. Rick had to talk to Glenn, or Carol, or Daryl. Someone that knew who Negan was.

"What did he look like?" Rick asked, looking at her. Her eyes were filled with concern, a hand resting on his shoulder.

"Brown eyes, roughly 6'0", maybe taller. Grey beard, dark hair, leather jacket." Michonne gave a brief description of Negan. Rick's Negan.

"Alright. I have to talk to Daryl." Rick got up, and without another word, walked away in search of the bowman.

"Are you positive it's him?" Daryl was sitting up on the railing of the house he shared with Carol. Carol walked out of the house with a pitcher of lemonade.

"I haven't seen him, but the description Michonne gave me sounds exactly like him." Rick replied, shifting on the post he was leaning against.

"What a coincidence that we were all out when he came here." Daryl muttered, accepting the glass of lemonade Carol offered him with a nod as a thank you. Rick took his glass from her, smiling gratefully as he sipped the drink.

"Does she know where he went? Maybe we can find him and talk to him. Me, you, Daryl and Glenn." Carol suggested, and Rick sighed.

"I don't think she knows where he went. She said he showed up at our gate, took half our supplies and left." Rick responded.

"I think we should go find him." Daryl declared, resting his glass of lemonade on his leg.

"I think we should stay put until he comes back." Carol looked at Rick.

"I don't know. What if he doesn't come back?" Rick rubbed his eyes. This was too much for him to process, and it was giving him a headache. Negan was alive. How was he alive? Where had he been? Who were these Saviours? Why was Negan hanging around them?

"I'm just... scared. What if it is him? What if something happened to him? What if he hates me?" Rick couldn't stop the fears from coming out of his mouth, spilling out without him wanting them.

"Rick..." Carol started, and Rick drank his lemonade to try and stop the emotions from taking over.

"If it is him, we'll bring him home." Daryl got off the railing, leaving his glass of lemonade on the little table and hugging Rick. Rick was taken by surprise, but gratefully accepted the hug. Daryl wasn't one for physical affection, so Rick wasn't totally sure where this was coming from. But he wasn't going to push him away.

A week passed, and there was honking at the gates. Rick was sitting with Maggie, Carl and Judith, talking about food rations and what little information she knew about the Saviours. Rick got up, walking down the stairs and going to the gates, telling Carl to stay behind with Judith. Maggie followed curiously, and Rick found that Michonne, Daryl, Glenn and Carol were at the gates. Glenn opened the gate, revealing a man with greying hair and a handlebar moustache like Abraham's.

"Who are you?" Rick called, looking at the man, peering against the blinding sun.

"My name's Simon! Who are you? You weren't here last time we were here!" the man - Simon - replied.

"My names Rick Grimes." Rick replied. A car door opened, and someone stepped out. Rick couldn't make out a face, the sun was too bright in his eyes.

"Rick Grimes! Shit, come over here boss!" Simon called over his shoulder, and the man that stepped out of the vehicle approached the gate. Once he got closer to the gate, Rick felt his blood go cold.

"Rick..." Daryl whispered beside him, and Rick felt Carol and Glenn looking at him as well.

"Open up the gate, let my boss meet you properly!" Simon called. Glenn hesitated, but opened the gate. Simon walked in, followed by a whole group of people, and the man he called his boss. They went right to Rick and Daryl, and Rick felt like his limbs were frozen in place.

"Hi, I'm Negan." the man grinned.