Thank you for reading and reviewing the last chapter. I also want to thank everyone for being patient with the delays in updates. I apologize for the lags.

I don't own the Walking Dead etc. OC makes and non canon storylines are mine. (Everything in this sequel is non canon.)

ENJOY!

"This place smells like fucking ass." Negan huffed, covering nose and mouth, with his hand. Kayla glanced at him with a smirk underneath her scarf.

"And you thought I was being a pussy." She muttered through the cloth.

"Yeah, well I still do." He retorted with a sneer.

"Pfft. Jealous." She murmured, dodging his playful smack towards her ass.

The couple continued their walk through the large farmland that once held cattle. The fields were littered with corpses of the bovine, the long rotten bodies, striped of meat and most of its fur by the dead or mother nature. The bleached bones rest in cluttered piles, across the snow covered meadows, amongst dead vegetation. Despite all the time that had passed, the fields still reeked of cow shit and spoiled meat.

"How does it still smell like death around here? I don't fucking get it." Negan muttered, his narrowed eyes scanning the snowy landscape.

"I don't know, it just does." Kayla grumbled, her patience gone from the long hike through the woods and lack of food. It was days ago that they ate something resembling a meal and it came from a dented can. Her clothing was getting loose because of the lack of food and she often found herself shivering, no matter how bundled up she was.

"It's gotta be something else. It doesn't make sense."

Rolling her eyes, Kayla followed him towards the building ahead that once processed dairy and held the cattle while not grazing.

"Maybe there's just more up there." She offered, tipping her chin towards the long stretches of animal housing.

Nodding minutely, Negan headed towards the structure to investigate, while Kayla followed along. She skimmed her eyes over the buildings for movement or signs of life. The farmhouse was old, it's river rock foundations topped with weathered pine siding. The roof was black limestone and chimneys were stacked with quarry rock. It was picturesque, and in Kayla's mind, far too unassuming. Glancing back, she caught sight of Beast roaming the grounds, his nose grazing the snow as he searched out lunch.

They'd travelled with the animal for a week now and not once had they needed to find him something to eat. The dog was made for the world they lived in; its huge jaws strong enough to take down walkers, while its nose and stealth, allowed it to hunt efficiently. Negan made the comment the night before, that he wished they could have Beast hunt for them as well. Kayla began thinking of ways to train the damn animal to do just that.

As they reached the first of the long aluminum buildings, the couple finally heard what they smelled. The buildings were filled with dead, the low moaning and growling finally making its way through the metal walls. They weren't lively due to the icy temperatures, but they were still a danger.

Negan glanced at her and raised a cocky eyebrow.

"See, I fucking told you. I smelled this shit for miles." He bragged, his eyes looking over the ground at the visible footprints. "Someone's been here recently too."

Humming in agreement, Kayla looked for the path the prints took and noticed they headed up the hill towards a farm in the distance. The prints were partially covered but still clear enough for even a novice tracker.

"We should get out of here." She commented, her gut turning at the idea of running into more living. The last group they encountered was not friendly and it ended with Negan recovering from a stab wound to the stomach.

"Why do you think they have biters in here?" Negan ignored her comment, his hand rubbing his beard thoughtfully, as he looked around the property.

"Who knows, but anyone who keeps them around is organized and has numbers that's we don't. We should go back the way we came." She huffed quietly, her eyes nervously skimming the area for new threats. There wasn't anything more dangerous in the new world, than stumbling into someone else's territory without knowing it.

"There's nothing back the way we came."

"Yeah well, there could be nothing but our ass's getting handed to us, if we follow these fucking prints to the unknown."

"We don't follow them, we circle around. See what we see." Negan explained, his brow furrowed, as he looked over the ground and began wandering away from her.

"I thought you were going to start fuckin' listening to me?" She growled, the dead inside the building becoming rowdier as they argued.

"Shh." Negan hissed, his mouth hovering over her ear. "Shut your goddamn mouth before you bring the whole herd to us."

"Fuck you, Negan. We can't keep running head-on into danger." She growled, her finger jabbing him in the chest.

Slapping her hand away, Negan drawled, "Not going in head on, we're going to circle them."

"For fuck-sakes." She muttered, as Negan began walking along the building holding, what sounded like, a town worth of dead people. Every step Kayla took cinched her lungs tighter and stiffened her back. They were making a mistake. She was sure of it.

The couple hiked their way up the hill towards the cresting settlement, the snow crunching below their feet noisily. She cringed as they found themselves looking at a fenced in property and obvious signs of the living. Negan glanced at her as they crouched by a pile of dead vegetation, his dark eyes showing new hesitation. Kayla sighed quietly, shaking her head to show her displeasure at the current situation. She was getting quite tired of the predicaments they continually found themselves in. Negan bumped her with his elbow and muttered, "Alright, alright. I'm an asshole. What're you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I need to revoke your ability to make any decisions… ever." She drawled, her eyes teasing but serious.

"Shit, doll. You know you love when I take charge." He growled, nipping at her jaw. " 'specially when I'm buried balls deep in that ass."

Kayla blushed deeply at his words. Negan's ability to embarrass her, despite it being just the two of them, astonished her.

"Shuddup." She muttered, her cheeks warming fiercely. His laugh was quiet but rich, the deep chocolate of his eyes sparkling at her.

"You're so beautiful." Negan rasped into her neck, his lips kissing her once, before pulling away. "Now what're we doin'?"

Chuckling under her breath, she offered, "Well, we're here already. Let's see what we see, I guess."

Negan glanced down at Kayla, as she lay prone on the ground with a set of binoculars pressed to her face. She was on point, her whole body looking for anything to clue them in on the property. He turned his attention to the opposite direction, his gaze concentrating on the woods to their rear. The woman was a saint putting up with his bullshit. Negan shook his head at his dumbass decisions. He was too damn stubborn for his own good and one of these days; Kayla would leave him in the wilderness somewhere.

Kayla tapped his hip with her elbow shortly after and whispered, "I got live ones."

Grabbing the binoculars, Negan focused on the sprawling farmhouse and gray barn. He could see movement in the overcast light of the fading day. Two figures walked from the barn, to the house, carrying buckets. One was a lean looking teen, his blond hair contrasting against the dark clothing he wore. The second individual was a girl, no more than twelve, with long blonde braids. Immediately, Negan noticed how they dressed, the girl in lengthy skirts with an apron and bonnet. The male wore black slacks and a thick wool coat, his head topped with a wide brim hat.

"Amish?"

"I guess or Mennonite." Kayla murmured, her brow furrowed in thought.

Scrunching up his nose, Negan asked, "The fuck's the difference?"

"Mennonite's are less strict about technology or some shit." She replied, while looking through the scopes again.

"But they're still fucking made for this shitfest." Negan drawled, his mind reeling at the possibilities of finding such a place. If they lived off the grid before, they would thrive in the new world.

"Fuck, they probably don't know the goddamn difference." He muttered, his hands wringing the handle of his bat in thought. "Could be a fuckin' gold mine in there."

"Don't even fucking think it." She hissed, her eyes turning fiery.

Negan glared at her as he growled, "Don't even fucking think what, dollface?"

"We aren't stealing from them, it's asking to get killed."

"I wasn't going to suggest we fucking steal." He scoffed.

"Then what?"

Shrugging lazily, he offered, "Maybe we can work out a deal."

"Oh yeah? What do we have to offer to a bunch of religious nutjobs?"

"Fuck if I know, but I know how to fucking wheel and deal, darlin'. I used to do this shit every fucking weekend." Negan drawled, rolling his shoulder to relieve the strain of being on guard for so long. "We can watch and see what their weaknesses are. I mean everybody's got 'em."

"Yeah, mines six and half feet of stubborn asshole." Kayla murmured, her eyes playfully twinkling in the low light. Growling at her, Negan pinched her side. "You're such a bitch."

"What do you mean, you did it every weekend?" she asked after a long length of silence. Negan huffed out a laugh and realized he'd never told her his side occupation before the end of times. "I sold cars on the weekends."

"Are you fuckin' with me?" she asked with a teasing grin.

"No, I'm not fucking, fucking with you." Negan rasped, his eyes rolling at her husky laugh. "So what? I needed the money and I could sell a fucking rubber to a eunuch if I wanted."

"I just can't picture you selling cars. I don't think I would buy one from you."

"Why the fuck not?" Negan scoffed, his hooded eyes watching her smile at him.

"You'd probably be too high pressure, all 'What can I say to get you into this car today?' bullshit. Then push me into some extended warranty that didn't cover shit."

Laughing gruffly, Negan elbowed her playfully. "Fuck, you know me too well, doll."

Moments later, Beast trotted up with a lump of gray fur in his mouth, his jaws releasing it into Negan's lap with a thump. Glancing down at the fur and blood, he looked over the dog that panted heavily with bloody drool dripping from his jowls.

"Dinner's ready, dear." Negan deadpanned, picking the dead animal up by its chomped on ear.

Kayla snorted loudly, her hand patting Beast flank heavily. "Good boy."

The dog slobbered on her cheek and licking at her hands as she pet him.

"Fuckin' can't believe he did that." Kayla muttered quietly. "I've been trying to think of ways to train him to do it, but it looks like he might've already been trained to find food."

"Un-fucking-believable." Negan replied, his grin flashing brightly. "Now we just need to get him to not eat half of the fuckin' thing before it gets to us."

"Are we staying out here in the snow or what?" Kayla asked, rolling away from the open area to hide behind the large pile of refuge.

Negan tipped his head to the sky and saw dark clouds coming in from the east, the temperature having steadily dropped over the last few hours. "Feels like more snow's coming."

"Yep." She replied, her hands smoothing down Beast ears and patting him heavily on the shoulder. "We could go back to the other farmhouse."

"The one with the herd of dead inside?" Negan rasped, his eyebrows raised to his hairline

"Yeah, what the fuck is up with that?"

"Fuck if I know, but sleeping with a group that big nearby isn't exactly on my fucking bucket list."

"How about-." Kayla started before Beast began a low growl, his teeth shining as his lips curled up aggressively.

"Fuck." Negan breathed out before the sound of rifles cocking had the couple as frozen as the earth below them.

They were taken up to a wood outbuilding by a group of young men carrying mostly axes and farm implements. The two eldest of the boys held rifles, the guns looking older than all of them combined. Kayla watched the group of five carefully, consuming everything about the situation as it began to unfold. Something was off about it, mainly being that the only true adult in the bunch looked to be in his early twenties, the rest were barely teenagers.

Kayla could tell Negan was just as confused by the assortment of weapons and ages of their captors, his heavy eyes scanning them thoroughly. They wore dark slacks and deep blue shirts, the wool coats and winter-ware all looking handmade. When they spoke, it was accented strangely, the tone foreign to her ears and some phrases were in what sounded like German.

Kayla glanced at the group surrounding them, while on her knees. Her hands were resting on her head, as Negan did the same next to her. Beast was barking and snapping, as two boys tried to get a rope around his neck.

"He's not going to let you touch him." She offered, whistling sharply at the dog. Yanking from their grasp, Beast crouched near her, his teeth bared. When a rifle was pointed at him, Kayla exclaimed, "Don't shoot him… please. Beast sit."

The large dog hunkered down in front of her, his growls subdued, but still rumbling with tension.

"Easy there, son." Negan drawled, as the rifle swung to Kayla. "We don't want any trouble here. We were just passing through."

Kayla glanced at him, the tone he was using and lack of curse words surprising her immensely. She got a shimmer of the educator he once was.

"Was machen wir mit ihnen? (What are we doing with them?)" a younger boy spoke from the side, his wide blue eyes jumping between the older boys. Kayla glanced at Negan who mouthed the word 'German?'.

Shrugging she offered, "Hey uh… look we've just been travelling. We can keep going, no harm meant."

"Be quiet." A teen murmured, his hand tightening around the hatchet in his hand. "We don't trust you."

"Yeah, well likewise." She muttered, her shoulders tightening as he glared at her and stepped forward.

"Elijah. Stay back." The oldest spoke in English finally, his tall, lean frame stepping up to the pair. He held a rifle but kept it pointed at the ground. "How many of you are there?"

"Just us and the dog."

"Do you expect us to believe you?"

"Why'd you fucking ask then?" she snapped, her irritation for the situation getting the better of her. Negan pressed his shoulder against hers, silently telling her to shut the fuck up. Sliding her eyes to his, he scowled at her and spoke, "Don't mind my wife, she's a little anxious when held at gun point. We've had some rough luck lately with some not so nice people."

The leader of the group seemed to calm at the statement, his eyes softening as he looked them over.

"You've been travelling long?"

Negan chuckled some and nodded his head, "Yeah, a while now."

"Just the two of you.. and the dog?"

"Yeah. We uh… we were looking for shelter for the winter."

"Können wir ihnen vertrauen, Jeremiah? (Can we trust them, Jeremiah?)" the boy who seemed to be second in charge, his dark hair hanging in his eyes slightly. Kayla looked between them and asked, "Is it just you here?"

The question caused them all to tense up and become shifty eyed, the leader now known as Jeremiah, seemed to consider the question thoroughly before reply carefully. "No… there are others."

"I'm guessing you're in charge?" Negan asked, his eyes scanning the group slowly for answers without their reply.

"Yes."

"There's no adults here?"

"I am an adult." The young man responded with an irritated frown.

Negan snorted and drawled, "Let me guess, nineteen.. twenty?"

"Twenty one." Jeremiah replied, his hand tightening around the rifle. "Old enough to take care of problems."

"And we're a problem?"

"Yes."

"What if we aren't a problem, but a solution?" Negan offered, his eyebrows raised in question.

"A solution to what?"

Negan seemed to work on his feet in assessing the group; pulling out reasons they should keep them around. "You need more people to defend this place? Keep people and biters away?"

"We're doing fine on our own."

Huffing out an amused breath, Negan replied, "That why we got so close without you knowing?"

"We knew, we were waiting you out."

"Yeah well, we found you pretty damn easy. Followed the tracks from the farm down the road like breadcrumbs to your quaint little homestead."

Jeremiah looked at the other boys with a scowl, "I told you to cover your tracks."

"We did!" Elijah exclaimed, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Not well enough."

"I told you Eli, we needed to use the pine branch, its stronger."

"Shuddup, Christopher."

"Both of you quiet." Jeremiah snapped, his voice hardening, as the group seemed to unravel under the allegations. "We will discuss this later."

Huffing out a breath, the makeshift leader asked, "What do you mean defending? How?"

"Well, for starters you need some better rifles than shit used at Gettysburg by my grandpappy's pappy." Negan drawled, his tone dry but not aggressive. "Those are liable to blow your damn hands off."

"They work just fine." Jeremiah growled, his cheek flushing angrily. His blonde hair was long enough to hang in his eyes but was kept to the side by his wide hat. Kayla could tell he'd worked the farm since probably a small child, his skin tan and hands calloused. Jeremiah was still young, but she could see the man he would be.

"Have you killed anyone yet?" Negan asked dryly, his eyes hard.

The room was quiet as they all looked to the oldest boy, his hand wringing the gun's handle.

"Our faith teaches pacifism. We don't believe violence is the solution to any problem." Jeremiah replied solemnly, his hands lowering the rifle as the words sunk in. "We will feed you and provide shelter for the evening, but you must move on at dawn."

They were introduced to the remaining members of the settlement, their ages ranging from three years old to fifteen. Kayla was overwhelmed with the introductions, their names going in one ear and out the other. It had been a long time since meeting a new group and the ones they'd encountered prior had been violent and uncouth. She wasn't prepared for the number of people they faced as they entered the farmhouse straight from the 1800s.

The old stonewalls were locally sourced rock, the floor original and squeaky. The large hearth had a small fire going, it's glowing coals keeping the room warm and inviting. Negan stood nearby speaking to one of the older boys about the number of children they found themselves facing.

"How many of you are there?"

"Fifteen. Eight boys, Seven girls." Elijah explained, tucking hair behind his ear. "We lost the twins last month to fever."

"Bitten?"

"No they just fell ill…. We tried everything we knew… Bea thinks it was measles."

"Anyone else sick now?" Kayla asked, her shoulders tightening at the thought of catching something when medical care was non-existent.

"No, I kept them in the attic to prevent the spread." The teenage girl replied, setting a large pot onto the table. She had shiny brown hair, woven into thick braids and twisted into a bun below her bonnet. Her skirts and apron were black, the length hitting her ankles just above a pair of sturdy leather boots. Beatrice was the oldest girl of the clan, at fifteen she was the mother figure for the children and seemed to run a tight ship.

"Everyone sit please." Beatrice instructed the smaller children, the boys and girls obeying immediately.

Kayla and Negan sat on the long plank bench with four of the children, as everyone bowed their heads in silent prayer. Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, she watched him cock an eyebrow at the silence and folded hands.

Turning her attention to the spread before them, Kayla swallowed thickly as her mouth watered. On a large wood platter were fresh sliced tomatoes, as well as a large cast iron pot of navy bean stew. In a handmade basket were a couple loafs of thickly cut zucchini bread with freshly churned butter on the side. She could actually feel tears in her eyes looking at the offering and knew Negan was feeling just as overwhelmed at the mere sight of real food. They had come across the occasional unkempt vegetable garden but the last time they'd eaten baked goods or dairy was Sanctuary. A large palm gripped her thigh under the table as Negan comforted her silently.

"Amen." The kids spoke, some quieter than others, as they peered at the outsiders. Even before the world ended, they would've had very limited contact with the modern society. Their community was self-sufficient and except for goods they couldn't make or produce themselves, that the elders would travel into town for, most hadn't met outsiders. The children were homeschooled, their education focusing on their faith and the farm first. Survival was a way of life for them before the dead walked, the only difference now being the lack of adults.

"Please help yourselves." Beatrice offered, her smile soft and almost too understanding.

"Thanks, darlin'." Negan rasped, his hand reaching for the ladle and spooning a bowl full before placing it in front of Kayla. "Eat, sweetheart."

With spoon in hand, Kayla tucked in quickly, while suppressing the desire to gulp it down ravenously. She could feel her mouth being scalded, but couldn't slow herself. The last hot meal they'd had was days upon days ago, the fear of smoke from a campfire bringing unwanted attention had them eating from cans and boxes. A small plate with tomatoes and buttered bread appeared at the edge of her tunnel vision, interrupting a shovelful of soup.

Glancing up she found a few of the kids watching her with wide eyes and Negan smirking sadly. Swallowing the last bite, she took a slice of bread and laid a tomato on it. She paused a moment before biting, her desire to savor every moment of fresh food thoroughly. A moan escaped despite her desire to stay quiet, the enjoyment too much to bear. The sweet but sour tomato bursting with flavor, the taste reminding her of the dinners they'd shared in Sanctuary.

"Holy shit." Negan grumbled after his first bite of food, his head tilted back and eyes closed. Kayla snorted, her lips twitching as he moaned, while chewing every bite thoroughly.

"That's a curse." A small voice spoke from the other side of the table, the girl no more than four with blonde ringlets.

Kayla smiled, as Negan smoothed things over with his boyish charm. "I apologize, dollface. It's been quite awhile since our last real meal."

"How do you eat then?" A boy asked, his bowl-cut hanging in his eyes.

"Cans mostly, whatever we could scavenge." Negan explained, biting into the bread with a groan. "Man, whoever baked this shi-tuff is my new bestie. It's go-sh darn good."

Kayla chuckled under her breath at his poorly edited compliments and offered, "Everything delicious. We really appreciate the meal, it's been hard out there... thank you."

The room was filled with the sounds of cutlery and slurps of broth, the strangeness of being sounded by new people leaving Kayla as time went on. Eventually she slowed down, as did Negan and the questions began.

"How long has it been just you guys?" Negan asked, his eyes floating over the smaller children at the end of the table.

"Bishop Eldridge passed away last spring, he had a heart condition. He was the last of our elders." Jeremiah informed, his hand placing his spoon down as he finished.

"What happened to everyone else?" Kayla asked, her gaze sliding to Beatrice and the other oldest girl taking care of the two smallest children. "How did this happen?"

"It wasn't all at once. In the beginning though we lost many. Word came from two farms over that they needed help, that outsiders were attacking them."

"Outsiders?"

"The modern men." A skinny blonde girl spoke, her wire rimmed glasses taped on one side.

"My father and many others went to help protect their land... they never came back."

"Some of them did." Elijah muttered, his eyes flicking to Beatrice who frowned.

"They were sick, like the others." Jeremiah explained, leaning his arms onto the table. "The remaining elders decided we needed to care for them. It's an illness and we would need to find the salve for it."

"It's not curable." Negan rasped, his eyebrows furrowed with concern.

"We know that now."

Kayla asked what had been on their minds since discovering the farm down the lane. "But you're still putting them in the barn?"

"We don't know what else to do with them and it was what the elders instructed us to do."

"You have to kill them."

"That would be murder and it goes against our faith." Jeremiah replied evenly, his tone firm and resolute.

Kayla and Negan glanced at each other at the statement, the idea that they hadn't killed before surprising both of them.

"What was with the weapons then? If you don't use them?" Kayla asked.

Jeremiah seemed to blush at the question, his hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "We were kind of hoping it would scare you off."

Kayla smirked at the comment and looked at Negan, who rolled his eyes. "Well that worked out well." He deadpanned.

Negan stood with Jeremiah, as Kayla sat with the children in the vegetable garden. He smiled as she spoke with the small blonde girl, who had taken a shine to her.

"Anna has missed her mother, I believe she finds your wife a suitable replacement." Jeremiah spoke next to him as they circled the gardens to approach the larger outbuilding. "Did you have children?"

"No. We met after all of this happened."

"Will you have them?"

"I don't think it's in the cards for us. The world isn't made for it."

"We're surviving."

"You've been lucky." Negan replied, his gaze trailing over the long stretches of stalls to see a few large plow horses and two dairy cows. The end was converted into a chicken coop, the remaining birds providing the group with fresh eggs and the occasional poultry meat.

"God's plan isn't based on luck. We survive by following his path and using the tools our elders provided." Jeremiah informed, handing him a pail of oats for the horses. "Split this between the two, while I take care of the mucking."

The huge black horse huffed out a rough breath as Negan approached, his snout releasing dragon's breath in the cold air. Hesitating a moment, Negan soothed him with low gravelly words. "Easy there big guy. Easy."

The horse was the pitchest of blacks, the rich nothingness of it, shining blue under the lanterns glow. It's thick flanks rippled with heavy muscles, the occasional twitch shivering through the impressive frame. He was the biggest goddamn horse, Negan had ever seen. "You're one scary motherfucker." Negan murmured into the horse's mane. Smoothing a large hand up the wide bridge of his nose, Negan rasped, "That's it, easy."

"His name's King. My father's best stud, he can clear a whole field by himself in an afternoon." Jeremiah spoke, while shoveling horse and cow shit out of the pens. His voice was filled with pride, both for the horse and his father.

"I'm guessing that's fucking fast?"

"You use quite a lot of vulgarity.. is that common in your people?"

"For me, fuck yes it is." Negan answered honestly before adding, "I'll try my best around the kiddos."

Emptying half the bucket of oats into the horses trough, Negan moved to the second giant beast. The red coat of the draft horse was speckled with white, its huge hooves covered in white hair. It huffed and snorted as Negan dumped the rest of the food into its food bin, the large animal crunching its way through the meal quickly.

"All this work must get tiring," Negan offered, his goal to get Kayla and him a more permanent home for the winter. "I bet you could use some other able bodied hands around here."

"You can't stay." Jeremiah replied evenly, his eyes meeting Negan's tense ones. "Outsiders aren't permitted to live here."

"The world's changed."

"It has but our faith hasn't."

"I'm not asking to change your faith, I'm asking you to practice it." Negan drawled, his hand brushing down the side of King. "Aren't you supposed to help your fellow man out?"

"We are, we're feeding you and providing shelter for the evening." Jeremiah explained, while spreading out new bedding below the cows. "That's more than enough."

"Sending us back out there is as good as murder. We won't make it through winter." Negan needed to provide for his wife and he wasn't going to let the first stroke of good luck they had in months, slip through his fingers. Kayla deserved way more than Negan could give her on his own. Even though brutally painful to his ego, Negan confessed his biggest regret in hopes to sway the young man.

"I failed my first wife. Before all this." His voice turned hoarse. "I wasn't a good man to her and when all of this happened I lost her. I became a monster afterwards."

His hand swept a brush through the thick hair running down the draft horses flank. It whinnied deeply, butting its head against Negan's chest as he ruffled its mane. The sound and action had Negan smirking slightly, the animal soothing his nerves. Glancing up at Jeremiah, Negan continued, "Then I met Kayla and for awhile I was able to take care of her. Provide for her. Now… fuck it's like one damn thing after another and I'm not one to ask for fuck all, from no one, but I'm asking for chance to show you that we could help. Give us a few days to prove it."

Kayla and Negan settled into the tiny room the group provided for them, the full sized bed covered in a colorful yet faded quilt. Their packs were resting against the antique walnut dresser, its surface weathered from decades of use. A large metal basin sat in the corner filled with steaming water and atop the dresser were two neatly folded towels. They would be able to bath for the first time in weeks, the idea of warm water almost too good to be true. Beast settled onto a thick wool horse blanket, his heavy sigh showing his own exhaustion from their travels.

The mirror hanging on the wall showed Kayla just how road worn and weary she looked, her face smudged with dirt and eyes heavy with shadows. Negan looked just as exhausted, his brow furrowed and mouth scowled. His face was covered in a thick salt and pepper beard, that was approaching out of control and his thick hair was curling behind his ears.

"Jesus Fucking Christ, woman. Why didn't you tell me I was turning into a crazy hobo?"

"Same reason you didn't tell me I look like death warmed over." She replied dryly, her hand raking a handful of hair from her filthy face. Negan stood behind her, his hands laying on her hips and his head resting against her temple.

"You go first, doll."

"You just wanna get me naked."

"Obviously." He drawled, kissing her temple. "I'll wash your back and fuck, maybe your front. I haven't played with your titties in days."

Snorting at his playful slap on her ass, Kayla took him up on his offer. She began pulling off her stiff, dirty clothing and slowly lowered herself into the tin tub. The water was almost too hot but she couldn't stop from sinking into it fully. Releasing a hissed breath through her teeth, as the water turned her skin pink, Kayla settled into the waist deep water. Negan knelt behind her and used a water pitcher to help wash her back. His large hands scrubbed and massaged her aching back muscles, the rich soap pebbled with exfoliating oats. His touch softened when he reached the deep scarring across her shoulder blade, his fingers gently washing the old wounds. Negan's lips lay gently behind her ear as he worked, his voice rough but soft. "Feel good, darlin'?"

"Very." She sighed, her head tilting back to lie against his shoulder. "It's your turn."

"Not yet." Negan replied, shifting behind her before using the pitcher to wet her tangled hair. His fingers dug into her scalp, turning the supplied shampoo into a fragrant lather. It smelled of lavender and rosemary, the aroma easing her residual tension immediately.

"Damn." He groaned behind her as she eventually rose from the tub scrubbed and rinsed clean. "You're beautiful."

"I'm just cleaner." She deadpanned, drying her body quickly as goose bumps rose all over her skin. The water was not nearly as clean or warm as Negan crouched, but he moaned in pleasure just the same. Kayla helped scrubbed his much taller body as he barely fit inside the metal tub. She rubbed his neck and shoulders as he scrubbed his head and beard with shampoo. When the water cooled to the point of causing shivers to run through him, he climbed out and dried off.

Once dressed into their freshest clothes, both laid down on the bed with weary sighs released immediately. Kayla curled into Negan's side, her face pressed into his shoulder as he wrapped her up in long arms. They lay quietly for a long time, both breathing a bit easier than the last few days and weeks. They hadn't felt any sort of comfort recently and now that they were fed, clean and in a secure shelter, both seemed shell-shocked.

"Sleep sweetheart. I'll keep watch." Negan rasped, his voice hoarse and exhausted. Kayla shook her head, her eyes sliding up sleepily to his face.

"Just sleep with me. They keep watch and Beastie will wake us if anything happens."

Negan seemed to ponder it for a moment, before nodding lazily into her scalp, his lips pressed into her forehead. "Yeah, alright. Probably can't stay awake much longer anyways."

They were quiet for a few more minutes when Negan murmured, "I'm gonna make this work. I'll find a way to stay here."

"I hope so." She whispered, her throat tightening at the sudden flooding of emotion. Kayla didn't feel desperate often, the woman able to weather most crisis's and obstacles with little strain. However, the last few months had been difficult and the longer they'd been trudging through life alone, the harder it was to see anything but the struggle for the rest of their days. The idea that they could possibly put down roots, for even a short time, had her choked with tears.

Negan's large palm cupped her head as he kissed her temple and murmured softly into her warm skin, "I got you, sweetheart. Let it out. I got you."

Her tears soaked his shirt and she shook in his arms until her eyes dried up and all that was left were watery sniffles and shuddered breathes. He stroked her back and combed a gentle hand through her damp hair, until she eventually relaxed into a heavy sleep. They weren't sure what would happen next but both settled in for the first restful sleep in months.

Thanks for reading, please review.

Ps: The Old Order Mennonites are the group I'm loosely basing these survivors off. Some are referred to as Pennsylvania Dutch and the speak a form of German (not actually Dutch). I know some about them, I'm not an expert, so if I am mistaken in some aspect of their lives, I apologize.