It had been a shock to everyone in Alexandria. To hear that Hilltop was decimated by a homemade explosive. Everything that Maggie Green had worked so hard for was gone in an instant. There was no way to rebuild it either.  When Rick had found out what had happened to Hilltop he left immediately for Hilltop with Daryl.  By the time they got there they were lucky to save as many as they had.  The bomb explosion had brought about walkers from the area.  Of course it would. The noise alone would draw them not to mention the glowing embers of what once was Hilltop.  Rick and Daryl got as many of the survivors of Hilltop out as they could.  But Rick's first thought was Maggie herself.  He fought his way to get to her.  Maggie was one of the only ones left from Herschel's farm.  It was because of Maggie that his daughter Judith was even alive.  It was because of Maggie's quick thinking that Carl was even with them.  When Carl was shot it was Maggie that went and got Lori.  Rick felt obligated to make sure Maggie and her infant son were safe.  Especially after Glenn's death.  Rick owed Glenn his life.  But he owed Maggie more than that for saving his kids.<br/><br/>Rick made sure that those that could be saved were saved by telling Daryl to get together any cars that still had fuel and lead the Hilltop residents out of the burning inferno that had been once Hilltop.  Rick was heartbroken for the residents.  They had lost everything thanks to Negan.  Maggie had lost so much thanks to Negan.  Once everyone that was alive was safely taken from Hilltop Rick offered for Maggie to ride with him.  He thought it might have been a comfort for the woman to be with someone she knew and recognized.  Even as Rick glanced over the sleeping baby in Maggie's arms Rick wanted to make it all better.  He knew he couldn't. He couldn't take the memories away. He couldn't take the pain away.  But what he could do is offer a new home to Maggie.<br/><br/>It hadn't been that long that Michonne had up and left.  Rick didn't know where she had ran off to but before she left they had ended things. Not what Rick wanted by any means but he had noticed Michonne getting antsy. So he respected her wish to leave.  Rick's track record with women wasn't great and he knew it.  First Lori died, then he got close to Jessie and she was killed.  Now Michonne had left him behind.  But Rick if he were honest with himself he knew it was coming.  He started seeing changes in both Carl and Michonne shortly after Carl lost his eye.  Where as Carl grew more reckless Michonne grew more reserved. Any sort of friendship he had watched form between Carl and Michonne was starting to disappear.<br/><br/>The drive from Hilltop to Alexandria was quiet with the occasional sound of whimpers from Maggie's son.  After they had gotten there Rick, Daryl and Gabriel had helped residents find places to stay while moving their belongings...what little they had left into the houses.  Rick had opened his now empty home to Maggie.  Rick wished he could have helped more.....but Negan had taken just about anything they had that was of value. Barely enough food to support themselves but they would find a way. Rick was sure of it.  They would find a way to get rid of Negan. They would find a way to survive. It was what they had always done.  Maggie was one of them and Rick would move Heaven and Hell to make sure Maggie would survive. Just as he would with anyone in his group.<br/><br/>Rick was ashamed that he couldn't offer Hilltop more in the ways of food.  That dinner had been rather slim. Still it was food and it was all Negan had left them. Now that the residents of Hilltop were settling in things were calming down around Alexandria for the most part. Rick hadn't seen Carl in about an hour but he figured that Carl was roaming around Alexandria.  It was something Carl did often. But Rick would be lying if he didn't admit that he was worried for his son.  Rick wished he could have been a better father to Carl as he grew up.  Sometimes Carl reminded him so much of Lori it wasn't even funny. Especially how sometimes Carl got Gung-ho like Lori would do when they were fighting.  Sometimes Rick wanted to shake his head when his son was in a tirade in his direction. Sometimes he wanted to laugh and tell him how much like his mother he was being. Rick shook his head though moving to where Maggie was in the living room.  Maggie had been quiet. Rick watched her staring ahead while sitting on the couch.  Rick had set up another crib in Judith's room for Maggie's son so he would have a place to sleep.  Rick walked in wiping his hands from doing the dishes with a cloth.  He was quiet for a long moment before he came and sat by Maggie's side.  What words could he say to make it better? Was there any words?<br/><br/>"....Maggie....I'm sorry....I wish I had gotten there sooner....To get more of your people out of Hilltop." Rick started slowly his southern accent coming through his words as it always did.<br/><br/>"I will do what I can for you and for Hilltop. I know it ain't under great circumstances....but I'm glad you're back with us." Rick added as he had his arms on his knees staring off himself.  Rick Grimes was not usually one to come up with the right words for the right situation. Usually every time Rick tried to talk to Carl it ended up with Carl exploding like a volcano. So Rick wasn't all too hopeful about this conversation either.<br/><br/>==================<br/><br/>Every day was the same here in Sanctuary.  It was wake up, stay within the walls, eat, avoid unwanted passes from a Savior while Negan had his back turned and then sleep.  Sure she had an old game system that was working on a power generator. Tv reruns that Dwight let her watch when he was done with them.  Really she had everything she could ever want.....for a price.  That price was she couldn't leave the walls of Sanctuary. Maybe once in a blue moon Negan would let her go outside to see the wall of walkers. But then she would be forced right back inside where it was "safe".  Everyone here took what they could get.  Everyone cared for themselves.  The workers all looked at her with scorn. The Saviors looked at her like she was meat. There was no sense of safety here. But wasn't that what Negan promised her? That she would always be safe.  What exactly was he keeping her safe from? She never understood it.  Her life belonged to Negan.  Anything Negan thought was best for her was how she had to live. Sure she had food and shelter. But she never knew where that food came from. Or what Negan had done to ensure that shelter.<br/><br/>She was no better than the troves of women that Negan had taken in as his "wives".  There was only one real difference though. She was Negan's only legitmate daughter.  Her mother had been Negan's first wife.  She missed her and sometimes it was hard to think what her mother would think of all this.  She would have been appalled to see what her father had become. What she now had to endure.  She was a trinket. A pretty trinket on Negan's crown and nothing more.  Hell she thought that Sanctuary was the last living humans on Earth.  Perhaps she was stupid to think that. But she was told nothing else. She knew of nothing outside of Sanctuary's walls. She knew nothing but what Negan allowed her to know.  At 18 years old she was no wiser to the world around her than she was when her mother was alive.<br/><br/>But that didn't mean she wasn't rebellious or tried to find her own sense of freedom.  Usually that was staying up later than what she was usually allowed.  Tonight was one of those nights.  She couldn't sleep sometimes the sounds of the walkers from the wall would keep her up.  Her room was right above the wall after all so it was hard to ignore the snarls and growls of the dead.  It was a horrifying sound and it was something she never got used to. Sometimes she'd even hear some poor soul her father had thrown to the wall. She would hear their screams.  She would hear the walkers snarl louder.  On days like that she would shut her eyes and cover her ears trying to fight the sounds of her own tears.  Her father promised nothing bad would ever happen to her.....but she paid a hefty price for his protection.  Her freedom and every decision was made for her.<br/><br/>So she was walking down the halls of Sanctuary.  The Walkers had been particularly loud tonight.  She didn't know why. She didn't even begin to guess why the walkers were loud.  Maybe they seen a cat or something walking by. She didn't care.  It was one of the few instances she could walk the halls without being watched.  Well that was a bit of a stretch. She was always watched.<br/><br/>But the sounds of something that didn't sound normal stopped her in her tracks.  Red hair pulled up into a ponytail with vivid green eyes.  She was pale with freckles over her cheeks.  She usually opted to wear jeans and a tanktop with a denim jacket over it on nights where it was cooler.  Her father's wives had tried to get her to wear make up. To pretty herself up.  To find some savior that would challenge Negan for her.  But she wasn't interested.  She stilled when she heard gunfire and she wasn't all that far from it.<br/><br/>Panic flooded her mind and for a split second she was unsure what she would do.  But her curiosity got the better of her and she followed the sound of the gunfire.  She watched what looked to be a boy not much older than she was taking out the guards.  Her eyes widened and she was frozen in place.  She tried to remain quiet...to remain hidden.  He was foreign to her.  He wasn't a savior. That much she knew for a fact.  In the rush of everything happening her heart raced and she must have taken a step that made something rattle.  She silently cursed and tried to retreat back against the wall until she met his gaze.  He had a bandage over his right eye for some reason.  But his non bandaged eye met hers.  She couldn't help but silently note that he had a lovely color of blue eyes.  Long brown hair that went to about his chin.  In jeans and a tshirt with a flannel over it.  She had never seen anything or anyone like him.  He was a little taller than she was it appeared and rather thin looking.  She knew she had been caught when he looked right at her.<br/><br/>She watched him take out the savior guards.  She watched him kill with little to no thought about it.  She had watched Saviors kill some of the workers so death was something that wasn't all that shocking to the girl. But it was when the male teenager in front of her pointed his gun at her did she freeze and do the first thing that she thought of. She slowly raised her hands to show she wasn't armed.  Her hands trembled....she was terrified. Scared that he would shoot her as well on principle.  Whatever this guy had against the Saviors she didn't know. She didn't even know who he was.  But....she knew her father would kill him...he'd be on the wall....she shouldn't have wanted to say anything at all.  But she found herself wanting to speak.<br/><br/>"I....m....my name is Jennifer...." She started. Her voice was soft..and it hitched clear she was frightened of what he might do to her.  This was the first time she would be in front of someone that wasn't a Savior. Saviors were dangerous. But he seemed to be more so.<br/><br/>"...They'll put you on the wall....the walkers will tear you apart....you have to go back.....! You have to go back to wherever you came from..." Jennifer spoke with desperation in her voice.  She knew the Saviors would be here soon enough after hearing the gunfire.  Whoever this was...she didn't want to hear his screams burning through her conscience when the walkers were released to tear him apart. It seemed to be a favorite past time of her father's. Throw some hapless poor soul and tell the lowest of the workers to loosen the chains on the walkers.