Chapter 1

Same bed but it feels just a little bit bigger now

Our song on the radio but it don't sound the same

When our friends talk about you all it does is just tear me down

Cause my heart breaks a little when I hear your name..

.

"Negan, stop it," Michonne whispered a stern reprimand directly into her husband's ear then turned around quickly to make sure that no one had stepped in line behind them, bearing witness to his risqué behavior.

"I can't take you anywhere." She swatted his hand from her ample ass as she once again faced forward, glad that the oversized dark-tinted Gucci shades covering her eyes also covered the twinkle that was currently dancing within them.

She found it incredibly sexy the way he always wanted her...always had to have his hands on her. It made her swell with pride that her husband of five years still couldn't get enough of her.

Michonne's scolding didn't deter Negan. Her smoky voice only managed to turn him on more. It was one of the many...many things he loved about his wife and in that moment it was the very thing that had his hand reaching out desperately to try and make contact with any part of her body he could.

Yes, her ass was phenomenal, but so was her elegant neck, her exquisite shoulders, the S-curve of her back and her strong legs and shapely thighs. He couldn't even bring himself to imagine touching the parts of her body he could only caress in private...the parts he caressed late last night and then again earlier this morning.

"You are so fuckin' sexy, Mrs. Negan Leone." His right hand slowly swept down the small of her back, sending dozens and dozens of explosive little bolts of thunder clapping throughout her body.

Negan Leone. Michonne shivered thinking about the way he liked for her to call out his entire name in bed...first and last. She never could find the strength to resist him.

Sometimes when she was feeling kind of schoolgirl naughty she did play hard to get, but he knew. Damn, my husband is one sexy-ass man. Hell yes, he knew she wanted him just as bad as he wanted her, but he always played along with her little game anyway. It was so much hotter that way.

"Don't you have any self-control? We're in public," she continued on as if this performance would be on the reel that she would be submitting in order to be nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Actress. "Behave yourself."

This time even the shades couldn't save her. Her giggle was the first to plot betrayal, but was not on a solo mission as it was quickly joined by its co-conspirator, her radiant smile. Those fucking traitors.

"Don't act like you've never done inappropriate things to me in public." Negan reminded her, his deep voice no more than a throaty whisper.

It was thick and jagged like gravel, scratching and scratching at her ear and making her ache in places where he always made it hurt so damn good.

"I'd take you into that bathroom, bend you over the sink and rip that red lace thong from your body with my teeth if it wasn't for..." he stopped abruptly and looked down at the perpetrator to make sure she wasn't eavesdropping.

Satisfied that she wasn't he continued on with his eyes focused back on his incredibly sexy wife, "...you know who. How many times has she shut our shit down just this week alone?"

Both of their eyes moved down at the same time to sneak a peek at the tiny offender who had interrupted so many of their freaky escapades.

Bella.

Her big brown eyes looked up at them and with a giggle she latched on to Negan's right leg and Michonne's left.

"Mommy and Daddy," she took a deep breath as she usually did when she got really excited, "why are you looking at me like that?"

Her voice was the sweetest little thing you've ever heard, or at least that's what Negan's mother swore. Gianna Leone was positive that her precious granddaughter was the smartest and prettiest little girl in the whole entire world and nothing or no one could succeed in convincing her any differently.

Michonne thought the woman spoiled her little girl too much...thought that his entire family spoiled her too much, but since she didn't have many familial bonds of her own she let her extended family indulge her only child.

They may have been a tad bit excessive with all of the gifts of lavish toys and impromptu weekend trips to Disney World anytime Bella decided she wanted to visit with whichever of the Disney Princesses was her most favorite at the moment, but they loved her to death and that meant more to Michonne than anything.

Negan bent down and scooped his precious little girl up into his arms.

"Because we love you so much," he said as his eyes shined, radiating beams of pure adoration, "Bunny, Mommy and I love you more than anything."

"I know that, silly," she shook her head at him as if to say Duh, Daddy.

"I'm your princess and I will be forever and ever," she said, her tiny little arms waving around dramatically in the air as she sprinkled some of her super magical fairy sparkle dust over the three of them.

"Now we will live happily ever after," she concluded, then smiled and placed a quick kiss on her father's cheek then turned to the other side and placed one on her mother's.

"Thank you, Bunny." Michonne gently brought her hands to her daughter's angelic face and cradled it while they leaned in and gave each other a few feather-soft bunny kisses. "You make Mommy so happy."

"You make me so happy too, Mommy," Bella brushed her nose against her mother's one last time before she turned and showered the same affection on her father.

"Do I make you so happy too, Daddy?" she asked, her squeaky little voice only matched in cuteness by her perfect little face.

Bella was the spitting image of her father. Her complexion was a shade or two darker than Negan's, but other than that they were practically twins. They had the exact same dimples and just like Negan, Bella's grew deeper and more pronounced the bigger she smiled. She wore her silky blue-black hair in two neat French braids that started at the crown of her head and hung halfway down her back. Negan's hair wasn't nearly as long as Bella's, but it was the identical color and texture.

She was truly his mini me in almost every way possible, but her eyes... Bella's big beautiful doe eyes were one hundred percent Michonne and when either one of his girls looked upon him for too long, Negan got weak in the knees. He adored them both so very much. They changed his life for the better. Hell, they gave him his life. He hadn't lived before the two of them. He had merely existed.

"Of course you make me so happy, sweetheart," Negan assured his little princess as he followed his queen's lead and took a step forward in line.

Maggie's bakery was always busy, but Saturday mornings were especially brutal. They'd been in line for twenty-five minutes by now and there were still five people ahead of them. Negan swore two weeks back, when it took him an hour to get donuts for his office, that he would never subject himself to such torture again but this was a special occasion.

This was the day four years ago that his wife, the woman he loved more than any woman before, gave birth to the little girl that made him believe in fairytales and happy endings.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Bunny."

Bella leaned in closer and cupped his ear with her two tiny little hands, every single one of her nails painted snow white with Hello Kitty's face hand drawn on with precision.

"I have to tinkle." Her whisper was actually quite loud, but Negan decided to humor her anyway.

He nodded his head affirmatively while bringing his index finger to his lips, assuring his princess that her secret was safe with him.

Michonne could only laugh as Negan spun their daughter around in his strong arms and danced the two of them off towards the bathrooms. Bella was a daddy's girl through and through, and even though Michonne had never experienced such closeness with her own father, her heart swelled watching her husband doting on the perfect little human being they created together.

"Welcome to Maggie's." The bubbly blonde cashier greeted Michonne with a bright smile that lit up the entire bakery. "Would you like to try a slice of our new Chocolate Ganache Cheesecake? Only two pieces left."

Her sweet smile was replaced by a now wicked one as she tried to tempt Michonne over to the dark side...the dark chocolate ganache side.

Oh, you little devil. Michonne thought to herself. Do you know how hard I have to work to keep this body in a size six? But damn that does look good. She admitted as she made the mistake of peeking inside the lighted display case that showed off the tempting dessert like it was a work of fine art.

No, no I shouldn't. I had to skip the gym this morning so that I could get everything ready for the party. She quickly brought herself back to reality when she remembered the unforgiving white Herve Leger bandage dress she would be wearing, the one that her incredibly thoughtful husband recently brought back for her on his most recent trip to NewYork.

Oh, how that man spoils me. She began to smile, thinking about how he surprised her the previous night with gifts of red satin and lace La Perla lingerie, a bottle vintage Bollinger Vieilles Vignes champagne and a box of her favorite Vosges exotic truffles.

"Good morning," Michonne quickly glanced down at the young lady's name tag, "Beth. I'm picking up a birthday cake." She got right down to business, not even acknowledging the young lady's question and not daring to look down again at the delectable treat.

"Okay," Beth's smile widened as her eyes began to dance with excitement. Birthday cakes were her favorite.

Maggie's didn't sell plain old sheet cakes with various colored buttercream roses. They only made custom creations that ranged in price from anywhere between seven hundred and nineteen hundred dollars.

"And what's the name on the order?"

"I believe it's under my husband's name. Leone, Negan Leone."

"Okay... I'll be right back," Beth tossed Michonne another friendly smile as she eagerly made her way towards the back of the bakery to check on her cake, her long blonde ponytail swinging from side to side with each step she took.

"Michonne?"

An unmistakable voice from her past came calling from behind her. It was like a bucket of ice water being thrown directly into her face without warning.

"Chonne, is that you?"

She froze.

I'd know that voice anywhere. No...no… no...no! Not today. Not now. What the hell is he doing here? Why is he in Atlanta? He's not supposed to be in Atlanta. He hates the city. Is she with him?

Michonne tried desperately not to panic, but it was already too late. Her heart was racing and her brain was scrambling to try and find a quick resolution. She needed to get the hell out of there...to get the hell away from him.

Negan, where the hell are you? Get your ass out here!

"Michonne, please turn around?" his voice brought her back to reality as he practically begged her to acknowledge his presence, "Babe, I know it's you."

Babe? Who the hell does he think he is? Seven years later and he thinks he still has the right to use a pet name...a pet name that he knows I always hated. Oh, no! I'm not your babe. It's Michonne...Michonne Morel-Leone. No, scratch that! It's Mrs. Negan Leone.

I moved on. I'm married now and my husband is the best thing that's ever happened to me. He loves me more than you ever could...more than you ever allowed yourself to. He doesn't play games. He doesn't lie. He's more man than you'll ever be…

So why the hell am I so afraid to turn around and face you? She knew her fear was irrational, but most everything was when it came to him.

Michonne took a deep breath in a desperate attempt to compose herself, inhaling slowly through her nose then exhaling carefully from her mouth. Then with her shoulders back and her head held high she slowly turned around to face the man who had shattered her heart into a million tiny little pieces.

"Hello, Rick."