Chapter Nine – Announcement

Twenty minutes had passed and she was still sitting in stunned silence in Carlson's office. He had tried to be reassuring, assuming her panic was around raising a child in this environment and the risk childbirth would bring without the relevant medical equipment. None of that was a concern to her, she hadn't given it a second thought her mind was reeling from the realisation she was pregnant with Negan's child. She couldn't understand it, she had been so undernourished, how had she been able to conceive, she was also sure they had used a condom but she couldn't recall the two of them having sex in his office hadn't exactly been planned.

"I don't understand, I was so slim I hadn't had a period in months…how did this happen?"

Carlson smiled reassuringly.

"Sometimes these things happen when you think them least likely. People who were suffering from famine in third world countries still managed to have children. It's not impossible; you'll need to start taking these."

Carlson handed Amelia some pre-natal vitamins, she felt sick. How was she going to tell him? How was he going to react?

"Thank you. Could you, could you keep this to yourself doc."

He smiled reassuringly; he was a kind mind Amelia had often thought.

"Of course, just because the world has gone to shit doesn't mean my views on patient-doctor confidentiality have too."

She smiled as she squeezed his hand thoughtfully as she got down from the bed, before she went to leave he spoke.

"You'll need to tell him, the safety of that child will be his only priority, he won't forgive you if you put either of you in danger."

Amelia nodded as she headed out of the room; Carlson was right it had happened and she needed to accept that, after all there was someone else she needed to consider from now on. She looked down at her stomach, she was pregnant. Heading back towards her room she opened the door and closed it behind her, she needed to keep this to herself until she was able to speak to Negan. Opening her bedside drawer she hid the pot of vitamins, she held the pregnancy test in her hands, taking a deep breath she put it in her pocket before closing the drawer, she was sure to need that as proof.

She headed back out of the room making her way to Negan's office where she knew he was waiting to speak to her alongside Dwight. Knocking on the door she opened it when instructed. Sitting on one of the sofas was Negan, Dwight standing in front of him she noticed that there was no-one else in the room, Negan's looked towards Amelia's, she smiled his way before closing the door and standing beside Dwight.

"Where the fuck have you been?"

Amelia took a breath before she responded.

"I had some personal business, but I'm here now."

Negan seemed to accept her explanation without the need for anything further, she was glad he didn't pry whilst Dwight was there, it was going to be hard enough to tell Negan let alone tell Dwight, especially seeing as she hadn't told him she had slept with Negan. Her mind drifted as Negan started explaining the reason he had called the pair of them to his office, she wasn't taking any of it in. Not only was she still being overcome with waves of nausea but she was replaying different scenarios in her mind as to how he would react.

"Amelia…Amelia, Amelia!"

She snapped out of her daydream by the sound of Negan calling her name several times, she looked in his direction before apologising.

"Sorry, I was distracted."

Negan furrowed his brow, he was sure to know something was wrong now. Looking towards Dwight he waved his hand towards the door, Dwight turned leaving the room. As Amelia went to move with Dwight, Negan called after her.

"Not you Amelia."

She took a deep breath as she watched Dwight leave the room, their eyes meeting briefly, his concern obvious. She turned to face Negan once more who had now stood up and was making his way towards her, before he could say anything Amelia put her hand in her pocket and pulled out the tissue that contained her pregnancy test.

"What the fuck is this?"

Negan accepted the tissue, not unwrapping it, his eyes still fixed on hers. She could tell he was concerned; he had been on those she had confided to about not feeling well recently.

"I'm pregnant."

Negan's eyes widened, Amelia pointed to the tissue in his hand and he unwrapped it to reveal the positive pregnancy test. He studied it silently.

"Wow…I mean wow."

Amelia didn't say anything as she let the news sink in for him, she was still unsure what he was going to make of the pregnancy…she wasn't even sure herself.

"I've got some strong fucking swimmers."

She could see his eyes brighten and a smile spread across his face. He looked up at her, her eyes meeting his.

"You're pregnant."

Amelia nodded; he took a step closer towards her and placed his hand gingerly on her stomach.

"And it's definitely mine?

She slapped his arm away from her stomach.

"Excuse me?"

He looked up at her, she was pissed.

"Well I know you and Dwight are close..."

Before she could think rationally she found her palm connecting with his cheek, the sound of the connection echoed throughout his office.

"How fucking dare you? Is that what you think of me?"

Negan's eyes flashed with a touch of anger but it soon disappeared as he remained calm.

"I was joking sweet thing…I was joking."

She could feel the tears swell in her eyes; this wasn't something to make jokes over. She needed him to be serious. He pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her, she nuzzled into his chest, taking in his scent - she loved the way he smelt.

"I never thought I'd be a dad."

She smiled. He seemed to be happy, he hadn't flown off the handle and was saying all the right things but there was something she needed to ask him and she wasn't sure what his answer was going to be.

"We need to talk about how this is going to work."

Stroking the top of her head he soothed her.

"I know, but you don't need to worry about that right now."

She pulled away from his chest and wiped her eyes, the tears had stained her face.

"I do…I'll do this on my own Negan if I have to, I've fallen in love with you and I have tried so hard not to because the thought of you being with your wives makes me sick, and now after one night together I'm pregnant with your child…I know we're not in any kind of relationship and you may not want that, but I need you to know that I want us to be a family me you and this baby, but I'm not willing to share you we're not going to fight for your attention."

Amelia had moved Negan's hand to her stomach, her hand covering his. He was looking down at their hands before his eyes were drawn to hers again. He sighed, cupping her face.

"Since that night we spent together I haven't been with any of my wives, they've tried to entice me but I've not wanted them…I've fucking wanted you. You need to understand that something's changed for me, and it's some fucking crazy shit."

She smiled, it was probably the best she was going to get right now and she needed to take it for what it was.

"I'll take that for now."

Negan smiled as he placed a reassuring kiss onto her forehead. She felt comforted, that everything was going to be okay. Taking a step away from her, Negan reached for the walkie talkie on his desk, turning the frequency it crackled into life before he spoke.

"D, I need you to grab all of Amelia's things from her room and bring them to mine."

"Uh, okay, on my way there now."

The walkie tackle crackled as he placed it back down on the desk, Amelia was looking at him with one eyebrow raised; pointing at the walkie talkie she spoke.

"Was that your way of asking me to move in with you?"

The boyish smile that she had come to love crept across his face as he shrugged his shoulders innocently.

"You don't want that? I mean I can call Dwight back and tell him to hold off…"

Rolling her eyes Amelia closed the gap between them, throwing her arms around his neck pulling him into a tight embrace, her lips finding his.

"Just shut up."

Negan smiled against her lips and pulled her closer, deepening their kiss. It was different than the last time they kissed, although she could feel the passion and the need to be closer but there was something else between them, something she couldn't place. She didn't care, she wanted him, needed him. She wanted to show him how much he meant to her, how much she deeply cared for him. The nausea she'd been suffering with had disappeared and she was now filled with an insatiable hunger and desire. She broke apart their kiss, both breathless. Leaving him she walked towards the door.

"Are you shitting me?"

Turning so she was facing him and her back was against the door, she smiled. Her hand on the door handle, turning the key she locked it. Negan smiled hungrily as he made his way towards her, pinning her against the door. His lips captured hers once again; lifting her he laid her down on one of the sofa's gently before they started tugging at their clothes desperate for the touch of each-others skin.