Final part of this imagine. My apologises for the time that it has taken to finish it, but I hope that it has been worth waiting for.

The time had passed quickly, and the return of Negan and his men would come any day now; the extra supplies that they had managed to accrue during Saviour's absence would probably only just cover what Negan's men would be taking when they returned.

Rick and Daryl had been struggling to get along, with Daryl rarely speaking to Rick, and no matter how many times Rick had apologised, or tried to explain himself and the reasons for why he did what he did, Daryl stayed the same. Now though, Rick couldn't accept those reasons himself, if he had heard them from someone else, he wouldn't have accepted them either, he would feel the same way that Daryl and all the others did in Alexandria, and Rick couldn't blame them.

Life in Alexandria had seemed to change, even though everyday life was still the normal struggle, there was now a hole that couldn't be filled. It was worse than if (Y/n) had died, then they could have at least mourned her, maybe still thinking that she had gone to a better place; but this way was worse, she was still out there, and they were unable to protect her, not knowing whether she was alive or dead, or what condition she was in.

"Ya know that sick bastard will bring er with him don't ya?" Daryl's voice called out, causing Rick to bring his eyes up from the floor.

"Yeah, I know." Rick replied, moving slightly over so that Daryl could take a seat next to him.

"Do ya think we can get er back?" Daryl asked, his eyes cast out over Alexandria.

Rick shook his head. "We haven't got anything to offer him, he has what he wants, I can't see him giving her up."

"Why not? You did!" Daryl said, his eyes staring into Ricks.

Rick put his head in his hands. "I don't know what more I can say Daryl. I fucked up, I admit it, I can't change it even though I want to. Even if we did have something to offer Negan, do you really think that she would come back?" Rick asked, feeling Daryl stiffen next to him.

"She'd come back ta me yeah, maybe if she put a bullet through ya head like she said, then she would be happy ta stay. The way I feel at the moment, I might just do it for er." Daryl said, standing up, and leaving Rick sitting by himself.

"Looks like Daryl still hates you then." Carl said, coming from inside the house.

"Yep, looks like it." Rick replied, motioning for Carl to come and sit next to him.

"What about you?"

Carl sat there for a moment, seemingly thinking about the best way to answer his father.

"I don't agree with what you did dad, but I don't hate you, I'm just disappointed." Carl told him, before standing back up and walking off into Alexandria.

Disappointed. That was worse than being hated, but no one was more disappointed in him than Rick was himself. If (Y/n) did come with Negan when he came back, he would do all he could to make up for what he did.

                                                       >>---------------------------------------<<

Daryl sat, cleaning his crossbow, fuming at Rick. After all this time his anger hadn't lessened, he still missed (Y/n) and would do anything to get her back. In his darkest hours he had come up with the idea of going to the Sanctuary, breaking in, killing Negan, and bringing (Y/n) back where she belonged; but when the new morning sun rose, he knew that it was just a pipedream.

He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Negan would bring (Y/n) with him to taunt them, to show off his prize, and Daryl just hoped that he could steal her away, even for a few moments so that he could tell her how he felt; even if she couldn't come back to Alexandria, even if she wouldn't come back, he needed to tell her that he loved her.

Daryl made his way to his bike, he had to get out, be on his own, go to one of the places that he and (Y/n) used to go so that they could be away from everyone, to talk about how life could have been if the world had not gone to shit.

As he sped out of Alexandria, his mind was filled with (Y/n)'s smile, a smile that he only seemed privy to, a smile that would always make his heart skip a beat. He had never been good at expressing his emotions, or any feelings at all; but there was something about (Y/n) that made him feel safe to do so, and even though he had never come out and said it, deep down he believed that she knew that he loved her.

As he pulled up to the clearing near the small lake, he found the tree under which they would sit and talk, where (Y/n) would tell him about the world that she had seen before the world ended, a world that Daryl could only dream of, and even though her life had been filled with war, she had always made the parts that weren't sound amazing.

Daryl closed his eyes, his hand resting gently on his crossbow remembering how he had showed (Y/n) how to shoot it; he could remember laughing as she had missed the target the first few times, teasing her as he had told her he was surprised that she could hit something with a bullet, if she couldn't hit a target with an arrow, to which she had jumped on him, sending him to the ground the pair rolling around in the long grass like to children without a care in the world. It had been the only time that he had summoned up the courage to kiss her, the only time that they had been able to share an intimate moment, an intimate moment that he had always wished would have gone further, and it would if not for the untimely appearance of a walker.

As he slowly opened his eyes, the chinks of sunlight that managed to find their way thought the thick canopy overhead, kissing his cool skin, he couldn't help but hope that he would get the chance to have that intimate moment again.

                                                     >>--------------------------------<<

"You ready to go sweetheart?" Negan asked, as he came up behind (Y/n), wrapping his arms around her waist, and kissing her neck.

"Ready when you are boss." (Y/n) chuckled, as Negan squeezed her tighter.

(Y/n) and Negan had only got closer as time had passed, his "wives" now only being kept for show; Negan didn't want anyone to know that there was a way to hurt him, that if something happened to (Y/n) it would bring him to his knees, so he had kept the other women to protect himself and (Y/n), not wishing to lose what he had found.

"I like it when you call me that, but I much prefer it when you call me other things." Negan sniggered as (Y/n) slapped him on the arm.

"We're ready to go." Simon said as he came up behind the pair, indicating that he and the others were ready to head off to Alexandria.

"Ok. Now, just promise me that you won't kill old Ricky boy as soon as you see him, as big a pain in the ass as he is, I want to keep him around a little longer." Negan said, watching as (Y/n) checked the magazine of her handgun for bullets, and slung her rifle over her shoulder.

"I can't make any promises, but I'll do my best." (Y/n) said, winking at Negan as she went to climb in the cab of the truck.

"That's my girl." Negan hummed, shaking his head as he followed behind.

                                                             >>-------------------------------<<

"THEY'RE HERE!" A voice cried out as the Saviours rumbled towards Alexandria, Carl rushing up to his father's side as the people scurried around.

"Do you think (Y/n) will be with them?" He asked, as the gates opened, and the trucks came inside.

"I don't think, I know. It's just another way for Negan to hold something over us." Rick said, as he and Carl walked down from the house to where the trucks had come to a stop.

"Is she ere?" Daryl inquired, as he ran to join the two Grimes boys.

"Don't know yet, they only just got here." Rick replied, as he watched Simon get down from the cab, closely followed by Negan.

"Ah, Rick, Daryl, so nice to see you again; I've missed you." Negan chuckled, as he handed Lucille to Simon so that he could turn back to the cab and help someone down.

Rick, Daryl and Carl watched as from behind the door (Y/n) appeared, her steely gaze focused on Rick as she slung her rifle over her shoulder.

"(Y/n)!" Carl shouted, as he rushed over, the young man heading for her waiting arms.

"Well hello." (Y/n) chuckled, as Carl spun her round.

"I've missed you too, kid." (Y/n) told him, as Carl finally put her back on the floor.

"Are you coming back to us (Y/n)?" Carl asked, moving away from her as Negan came up to her side, and put his arm around her.

"Sorry kid, I can't let that happen; this beautiful lady is worth her weight in gold, and unlike your pops, I won't give her up for anything." Negan said mockingly, as he looked at an uncomfortable Rick and an irate Daryl.

"Why did ya bring er you sick prick, did ya want ta rub our faces in it." Daryl growled, as Negan placed a kiss to the side of (Y/n)'s head.

"I wanted to come. I wanted to see what selling me had got you, I wanted to see how much you had been able to accrue since I've been gone; but most of all, I wanted to see him again." (Y/n) scoffed, pulling her sidearm from its holster and pointing it at Rick.

"Now sweetheart, what did we say, I don't want Rick killed just yet; but when I do, you will be the first to know." Negan smiled, as (Y/n) slowly replaced her gun.

"Ok Rick, where's my stuff?" Negan asked, as he took Lucille from Simon and walked up to the three men.

"I know where Rick keeps a secret stash, I'll go and make sure he hasn't squirreled anything away there, you can come with me." (Y/n) said, pointing at Daryl as she walked off further into Alexandria ignoring the slightly confused scowl of Rick and Carl as she passed.

"Now that's my kind of woman; deadly, sexy, and she holds a grudge." Negan laughed, as the rest of the Saviours proceeded to take everything they were owed.

                                                           >>------------------------------<<

"(Y/n), what the hell is going on, what secret stash? Ya know we don't have anything like that back here." A confused Daryl asked, as he caught up behind the female sniper.

"I know that ya dummy, but how else was I supposed to get you away from there?" (Y/n) said, as she turned around and threw herself into Daryl's arms, his momentary shock fading as she held him tight.

"I've missed you so much, Hillbilly." (Y/n) told him, as she ran her fingers through his hair, smiling as he placed his lips softly against hers.

"Come back ta us (Y/n), come back ta me." Daryl whispered into her ear, as his mouth ghosted over her ear, his warm breath heating the skin on her neck.

"I want to Daryl, you have no idea how much I want to be here with you; but I can't, not yet anyway, when the time is right, I'll come back to you. If I ran away now, Negan would only come for me, he'd take me back and do goodness knows what to you and the other's; so, for now I have to stay with him." (Y/n) explained, sighing happily as Daryl kissed her neck.

"I love ya, (Y/n)." Daryl said softly, as the two looked at one another, knowing they might not get a chance to be together for a while.

"I know Daryl, I love you too; so, don't you dare go finding yourself another girl while I'm gone, cos I'll be back before you know it." (Y/n) stated, as she looked back towards the main part of the town.

"We better get back; I don't want Negan getting suspicious." (Y/n) said sadly, as she kissed Daryl one last time before leading him back to where she knew Negan would be waiting.

"You know something Rick, this is pretty pathetic, I would have thought that you would have been able to stockpile much more than this since I've been gone; looks like you needed (Y/n) more than you thought." Negan stated, as he watched the Saviours pack the stuff into the trucks.

"Did you find anything sweetheart?" Negan called out, as (Y/n) walked towards him, an angry looking Daryl in tow.

"Nope, nothing back there; they've either found a new hiding place, or the mighty leader there, isn't as good as he thinks he is." (Y/n) said sarcastically, as she re-joined Negan.

"Well Rick, Daryl, it was so nice to see you again, and I look forward to seeing you next time." Negan said, as he began to lead (Y/n) back towards the trucks.

"(Y/n)!" Rick called out, causing her to turn and look at him.

"I'm sorry." He said softly, as (Y/n) left Negan and walked up to Rick.

"You haven't begun to be sorry, but sooner or later I'll be back here permanently, and then you and I will talk." (Y/n) almost whispered, as she made sure that Negan was out of ear shot.

"One day I'll be back because of Daryl and the others, and on that day I will have to decide whether I want to put a bullet through your head or not, so in the meantime you better come up with a way of making this up to me." (Y/n) told a slightly shocked Rick, who could do nothing but nod his head.

"I'll be seeing ya kid. And you Hillbilly, don't you dare forget you love me." (Y/n) said as she winked Carl and Daryl, before turning and making her way over to where Negan helped her into the truck.

"You did so well beautiful, maybe I should bring you more often." Negan chuckled, as the trucks left Alexandria, the figure of Daryl slowly slipping into the distance.

"I'd like that." (Y/n) told him, a subtle smile on her lips as she snuggled into the big man's side.

As much as she cared for Negan, as much as she liked being with him, her heart had always belonged to her Hillbilly, and one way or another, somehow, someway, she would get back to where she belonged, in Alexandria with Daryl; but until that day, she knew that in this new world where you didn't know which day could be your last, it was better to be the lover of the devil than in his sights.