Negan danced around his kitchen half naked as he cooked. His date wasn't until eight but he wanted to cook a full meal hoping to impress the young lady. The music was loud; the smells that came from the stove swirled around him, teasing him with their savory flavor. His phone went off informing him that the cake was done. He smiled to himself he grabbed an oven mitt off the hook above his sink and made way to his oven. He pulled open the oven door and the smell of chocolate cake rushed at him with the heat. He groaned in pleasure, he made a damn good cake. He gently pulled the cake out of the oven and placed it on the marble counter next to the stove.

Negan turned back to the stove, the Alfredo sauce he made from scratched stared back at him. You see, Negan knew how to cook, hell he was good at it; but baking was lost to him. He turned back to the cake; the items to frost the cake littered the counter top. He had no idea to frost a damn cake; he bought a boxed cake mix for hell sake. Negan bit the inside of his cheek; he was worried that his frosting skills wouldn't impress his date. A ding came from his phone; he pulled it out of his pocket, checking the screen. His package had been dropped off at the front desk. Negan quickly moved the Alfredo sauce from the burner, turning off the flame. He quickly grabbed the shirt hanging from chair at his dinner table; he pulled it on as he made way to his front door. As he pulled open his front door he was greeted by his next-door neighbor, Martie. She was a tiny thing about a foot shorter than him; her big almond shaped eyes stared up at him. He noticed his package in her hands.

"Miss. Cookie asked me to bring it up to you." she said meekly, as she held up the package to him. His phone went off; he looked down to see a message from Miss. Cookie, the front desk clerk.

Miss. Cookie: my baby girl smelled your food and now is craving it, you better give her some! Be nice to her; if you make her cry I'll pummel you boy.

Negan couldn't help but laugh. Now, miss. Cookie was not only the front desk clerk, but the owner of the prestige apartment complex he lived in; and the grandfather of Martie. He remembered a few months ago he had crashed in to Miss. Cookie rushing out of the apartment make up running down her face and her husband comforting her. Miss. Cookie had explained that her only grandchild was in the hospital after being beaten. It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago; Miss. Cookie returned with the battered girl that the rumors had started. Apparently Martie was beaten by her husband. Many of the tenants had different stories on why. Some said she was cheating on him, others said that she tried to leave and a few say that she ran away with her secret boyfriend. But Negan ignored it all; it was none of his business any way.

Negan's eyes went immediately to her pregnant belly, he couldn't tell how far along she was. Negan smiled down at her and leaned against his door's threshold, as he gently took the package from Martie.

"Oh? You didn't volunteer because you wanted some of my food?" He teased. Martie's face went red. She quickly looked down at her feet.

"Well, it smelled so good." She whispered. He laughed. It was too easy. Negan got an idea.

"Do you know how to ice a cake?" Martie looked up at him questioningly. She nodded hesitantly.

"Yes?" It came out more of a question then an answer.

"Okay," Negan placed the package under his arm and stepped aside. "You ice this cake I baked and I'll give you some of my food." Her eyes lit up.

"Really?" She asked. Negan nodded.

"Yep, I don't want your grandpa to beat me up." Martie laughed. "Come on in darling." He watched as she waddled past him. She reminded him of a penguin or the geese from the Disney movie he had watched a few days earlier.

Negan led her to his kitchen, and she moaned.

"It smells so good!" She squealed. "Is it from scratch?" Negan nodded.

"Yep, made it all from scratch."

"Even the noodles?" He nodded again. She made a squealing sound as she bounced from foot to foot. "I'm so excited!" Negan laughed. He heard of pregnant women having really bad cravings. He showed her where the cooling cake was at.

"Now, you think you can make it look pretty?" He asked. She nodded moving toward the cake.

"Sure! Did you want me to put frosting in the middle as well?" Negan nodded.

"Please." He watched her wash her hands before moving toward his cake. He sat on the counter next to her deciding to watch her so he could learn something. Martie turned the cake over with her other hand trying to catch the cake but to her surprise the entire thing crumbled in her hand.

"What the fuck?" She asked. Negan's mouth fell open in shock. She turned the pan right side up and looked up a Negan. She placed the cake pan down and picked up a piece of the cake tasting it she immediately spat it out. "Did you forget to add the eggs and butter?" She asked. Negan gave her a confused look.

"What? No, the box said just add water." Negan answered jumping down from the counter. He stared sadly at his destroyed cake.

"You do know you have to add eggs and oil to the mix, right?" She asked. Negan heard the sudden tremble in her voice; he turned to her and saw her eyes were watering. Negan moved to the trash and pulled out the box, he turned it over and saw she was right.

"Fucking shit on a stick!" He shouted tossing the box back in the trash. When he turned to her he couldn't help but noticed that she had flinched. He moved toward the destroyed cake she quickly moved out of the way. He stared down at the cake crumbs it looked like someone had tossed dirt all over his kitchen counter. He turned to Martie. She watched him with a fearful look on her face. Negan turned back to the counter; he slowly started to pile up the crumbs.

"I'm sorry." Martie whispered. Negan laughed.

"It's not your fault darling, I can't fucking read." He smiled at her. She gave a weak smile back

"If you have the ingredients I can make a cake from scratch." She answered Negan turned to her.

"No shit?" He asked she nodded.

"But, every time you cook something yummy I get to have some." She replied. Negan laughed nodding his head.

"Deal." With that they got to work. After a baking lesson from Martie and the two were waiting for the cake to bake Martie was sitting at his dinner table enjoying a bowl of his Chicken Alfredo.

"Ugh…" she moaned with her mouth full. "I can eat this forever." Negan smile as he took a sip from his wine glass. He couldn't help but examine her. He could see faded marks around her face and neck. Her raglan shirt moved and he saw stitches along her collar.

"How far along are you?" He asked. She took. Sip from her apple juice (another craving) before answering him.

"About three months." She answered. Her demeanor suddenly changing, her shoulder sagged and her bright smile disappeared she aimlessly played with her food. Negan reached for her, she pushed herself to her feet fear in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, but you have sauce on your shirt." He said softly. She looked down at her Chest, her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment as she wiped at the stain.

"I'm sorry I over reacted." She stammered. Negan didn't answer as the timer went off. Martie moved toward the oven. Martie was quiet as she finished up the cake. Negan came up behind her peeking over her head to see her piping colorful flowers on the top. He felt her stiffen and he quickly moved next to her.

"Damn, that is one fucking pretty cake." He crossed his arms across his chest and grinned down at the dark-haired woman. He saw her smile shyly. Martie moved away from the cake as Negan examined it, she had colored the flowers pink and lavender.

"Well, I'm done here." Martie said as she picked up her bowl of food. "Now don't forget," Martie started as she moved to the front door. "Anything you cook that smell yummy I get to have some!" She called out from the front door. Negan quickly moved to the front door, he followed her outside.

"I just want to fucking thank you Martie." Negan caught her attention. She turned to look at him the fork still in her mouth.

"You're welcome." She smiled.

"There you are!"A voice caught their attention. They turned to see Miss. Cookie making her way toward them. Her makeup bright and flamboyant and her wigs stacked making her hair three times bigger than it originally was, she was dressed in a red number, sparkling red heels on her feet. Negan saw a familiar face behind Miss. Cookie. "Baby girl, detective Grimes is here to see you." Miss. Cookie gently wrapped an arm around her granddaughter and rubbed her shoulder in a loving manner. Detective Grimes gave Negan a familiar look of distaste.

"Hey rick! Long time no see!" Negan greeted the irk detective. Rick nodded his head; Negan could see the clench in Rick's jaw. Rick turned to the two ladies and gave a smile.

"Why don't you two wait for me inside?" Both women nodded. Martie gave Negan a small wave, before turning to her grandfather, holding out her bowl of food. Negan couldn't help but give Martie's ass a quick glance. "What the Hell are you doing with her?" Rick snapped as soon as the two women disappeared in to their apartment. Negan turned to rick.

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about." Negan crossed his arms across his chest. Rick mimicked his defensive stance.

"She's a victim and witness in my case. I need you to leave her alone." Rick moved past Negan.

"And who the fuck said I'll ever listen to you rick the prick" Negan snapped back before stepping back in to his apartment and slammed the door.

Negan didn't see Martie for the next week, until he had invited Simon over for dinner. They had to go over the budget for their motorcycle inventory. Simon was seated at the dinner table surrounded by paper work; Negan was just finishing dinner when three quick knocks on the door caught their attention.

"You expecting company?" Simon asked looking up from his binder, a pen tucked behind his ear. Negan moved the food from the burner and turned off the stove. Negan grinned at his friend.

"Yep, I knew she couldn't resist butter chicken." Negan answered. He moved toward the front door. As he opened his front door he saw Martie standing there holding his bowl and her grandmother stood next to her with an unreadable look on his face.

"It smells good! You know our deal!" Martie literally shoved his bowl in to his face. Negan laughed, gently taking the bowl from her.

"Hello to you too sweetness, long time no see." Negan turned to Martie's grandmother, Jefferson, and gave them a smile. "And how are you, Jefferson?"

"May I please have some food?" Martie asked sounding impatient. Negan laughed, moving aside allowing Martie to enter his apartment. Martie made a happy sound and hurried past him. Jefferson waited until Martie was out of sight to finally speak.

"Detective rick, informed us of how you two know each other." Negan took a deep breath, he wasn't expecting this. "I just want you to know that Martie has been through a lot. She really doesn't trust men, but she likes you." Negan gave them a surprised look. "I'm going to ask you to protect her and keep making her feel safe, please." Negan nodded, he didn't know what to say.

"I will." Negan answered. Jefferson finally smiled. "Did you want to come in as well?" Negan asked. Jefferson shook their head.

"Cookie and I have a show to attend, we'll be back later." With that Jefferson gave Negan a small wave, and left. Negan closed his apartment door and returned to the kitchen only to find Martie cowering in the corner of the kitchen near the fridge face buried him her arms, while Simon was crouched in front of her a worried look on his face.

"What the fuck Si?" Negan snapped moving next to him. Simon turned to him.

"I don't know what happened," Simon started. "She was getting food and then she saw me and freaked out. I tried to explain who I was but she won't talk to me." Simon finished. Negan slowly reached out, Martie flinched and gave a heart wrenching whimper.

"Martie, it's okay." Negan whispered. "It's just Simon, I know his ugly mug can be fucking scary; but this asshole is my friend." Martie was shaking now. "I promise if he even touches you I'll bash his head in with a wired baseball bat." Negan said softly. Simon gave his friend a look, but knew Negan was just trying to help the girl. "He made the naan bread from scratch." Martie looked up slowly her eyes meeting Negan's. She snapped a look at Simon then returned her gaze to Negan.

"He did?" Negan nodded. Martie slowly reached her and out grabbing Negan's shoulder. Negan allowed her to move closer to him. "He looks like my ex-husband's drug dealer Trev." Martie whispered to Negan as she slowly stood up. Simon tilted his head in question as Negan begun to chuckle. So, with Negan's help Martie was seated at the table, Negan made her a plate and she happily dug in with gusto. As Martie ate Negan pulled Simon in to the living room. He briefly updated Simon on Martie's past, well what he knew. Simon gave a nod of understanding and the two returned to the kitchen.

"Is it good?" Negan asked making a plate for himself. Martie nodded as she nibbled on a piece of naan bread.

"I've been craving butter chicken." Martie informed him. Negan smiled. He knew that he had overheard Miss. Cookie telling a nosey resident that Martie was not to happy with the lack of Indian restaurants nearby, and how Martie was not pleased with the packet of butter chicken from the markets.

"I haven't seen you in a while," Negan started. "I was wondering if my cooking was turning you off." Martie shook her head.

"I went to stay with my mother's parents for a week." She answered. "My ex's parents were in town to testify, and detective rick thought it was best I wasn't around." She took a spoon full of rice.

"Why not your parents?" Simon asked. Martie turned to him.

"My dad is working overseas." She took a sip from her cup. "My mom is bible thumping her way across the world." Martie sounded bitter.

"So, is Miss. Cookie your biological grandpa?" Simon asked mouth full. Negan smacked him. "What I'm confused." Simon snapped. Martie laughed.

"They both are." Martie answered. "My grandpa, Miss. Cookie is a drag queen. Jefferson, my grandmother is a transgender male." Simon made a noise of understanding. Negan continued to eat quietly. Martie ate silently too; she looked over the paper stacks near Simon. "You own a motorcycle shop?" Martie asked looking up at Simon. He nodded.

"We do." Simon gave her a proud smile. Martie turned to Negan a look of wonder on her face.

"I thought you wore that leather jacket for the chicks I'm glad you actually know how to ride a motorcycle or that would have been embarrassing." Martie stated. Simon burst in to laughter. Negan did as well. "Could you teach me sometime?" She asked.

"We'll wait till you have the baby, then we'll talk." Negan answered.

"Babies." She corrected him. "I'm having triplets."

"Well, damn." Simon spoke.