Negan tossed a backpack over one shoulder and reached for a set of keys that started the truck he'd stashed with small amounts of gasoline and other flammable material. When he threw on a black baseball hat Alexandra smiled and slid her fingers across the brim.

"I like it," she told him.

Negan laughed "Incognito," he told her.

"Don't remind me of why you need to be." Alexandra took a deep breath and then leaned in and kissed him once. "I'll never stop worrying."

"I know." He kissed her again. "I'll be back soon."

"How far away from us will you be lighting the fire?"

"There's a drop off a couple miles from here, small cliffs that lead down into an open field." Negan nodded as he thought of the plan they would be putting into action. "We're going to lead 'em there. Start the fire in the street and then stream it down to the field. Hoping the fuckin' place is dry enough to spread and then we'll have a big pit of flames."

"I'll pretend it'll be that simple. It'll help me sleep tonight." Alexandra took a deep breath.

Negan adjusted his hat. "I'll be back by then."

She put a hand on his cheek and smiled and then then called for Lucy.

"Lose the leather jacket," Sarah told him.

Negan turned toward the table where she sat eating a bowl of cereal. Before he could say anything she went on with her first thought.

"Those assholes know you where a leather jacket. Hoodie will do the trick." Sarah took another bite, "Pull up the hood too. It'll add to the 'disguise'."

He grinned and decided to appease her by unzipping the jacket. At the same time Sarah reached to the next seat where a dark blue sweatshirt was crumpled up in a ball. She tossed it to him and Negan snickered.

"You're not half bad to have around, ya know that?"

Sarah spoke with a big bite of cereal in her mouth. "Feeling's mutual."

When Lucy's feet scuttled across the kitchen floor Negan spun around and scooper her up into his arms and held her high above his head. "Be good little one."

"I will." She giggled.

"Practice the bike today."

"Okay."

Negan dropped her down and kissed her cheeks before setting her down and held his hand on. "Shake on it."

Lucy smiled and grabbed his hand with a nod. "Before I wake up tomorrow?"

"Before you wake up."

Alexandra walked Joseph into the kitchen, holding his tiny hands as they went and Negan lifted him in the same way he did to Lucy making him giggle.

"See ya little man."

Joseph reached for Negan's nose and then patted him on the face lightly with his hand.

Negan chuckled and kissed him on the cheek before handing him back to Alexandra. "Well, I'm going to take a leak and then hit the road."

"Keep in touch over the radio if you can," she told him.

"You got it honey." He took the stairs to the second floor and Sarah hurried over to Alexandra.

"Are you going to tell him?" she whispered

"Tell him what?" Alexandra asked.

Sarah cleared her throat and then shrugged. "About the test..."

"What?"

"The test. I saw it in the garbage," she confessed, "The little plus sign means positive, right?"

Alexandra began to shake her head and then Negan came back down the stairs. He tossed the car keys to himself once and then kissed Alexandra. "I'll be in touch."

"Bye Daddy." Lucy waved. Joseph mimicked her movements, waving to Negan as he stood upright with a hand on the wall. "Bye bye bye," he rattled off.

Negan kissed them both on the top of the head and then gave a wave, pointing at Sarah as he went. "Thanks for stayin' back kid. We'll drive when I get back."

"Okay." Sarah nodded and looked at Alexandra once more before Negan headed out the front door.

...

"Two trucks per team," Negan glanced around the collection of vehicles that waited at the gates. "We ready guys?" He looked directly at Matt first and then to the other group leaders consecutively.

"Ready to get all this manure out of my truck," Vince said with a laugh, "Smells like shit."

"It is shit," Casey told him, grinning.

Negan chuckled with him. "I'd say we're ready then."

"This could clear most of the area of these things," Matt said.

"That's the idea." Negan waved a hand, "Let's fuckin' go boys." He headed to his truck and gave the thumbs up to Jack in the tower before leading the trail of trucks out onto the road. Negan turned up the knob on the radio and then changed the CD when the same round of songs he had been listening to began to play.

When the first song of the CD began to play Negan rolled down the window and let his arm hang out. He began to sing along to the words of Up Around the Bend.

"How can you be so calm?" the man riding shotgun asked him.

Negan glanced over for a moment. "It's Ben right?"

The man nodded.

"Well, Ben... you better get on the same damn page as me. Because fear out there will get you fuckin' killed... or me killed. I can't have that shit, ya got me?"

Ben nodded and took in a deep breath through his nose.

Negan reached into the center console and toss him a packet of cigarettes, "Take the fuckin' edge off will ya?"

He let out a nervous laugh and looked around. "Light's the glove box."

"Thanks," Ben said with a nod, reaching for it.

"Light me one up too."

He pulled out two cigarettes and handed one to Negan before lighting them up.

Negan eyed the road but accepted the light and then took a drag and a deep breath. He sighed and then smiled, letting his arm drape out the window again. A fleeting thought of Sarah's disapproval of his occasional smoking habit passed through his mind and he grinned to himself before puffing out a mouthful of smoke.

Ben sighed next to him and mirrored Negan's position.

"Shit's good isn't it?" Negan huffed a laugh and turned up the radio. "Fuck... it's good to be out of the fuckin' cage." He laughed to himself and smacked Ben on the shoulder before nodding along to the music.