Marilyn's chest tightened with anticipation. Their escape from the Hilltop had been relatively smooth that to have it all collapse once they thought they found refuge would be devastating.

It was too easy, she thought, there had to be something that went wrong.

The world stood still for several long seconds that felt like hours. All of nature's noises appeared to be blocked out from the thumping in Marilyn's eardrums.

"Please don't shoot," Marilyn begged. She moved to try to push past Negan but he easily stopped her and repositioned himself in front of her again.

"Get down on the ground," a man's voice demanded in the darkness. He took a few steps in their direction. "I will not fucking hesitate!"

Negan began to oblige but thought he recognized the voice. "Simon?"

There was a brief pause and then he responded. "Negan?"

"Yeah..." He let the word drag out and took a deep breath.

"No shit." The first few steps he took were cautious; slow, though he quickly let it registered that there was no threat there. "Both of you?"

"Yes," Negan and Marilyn said at the same time and then Simon came into view, sporting a wide grin beneath his mustache.

"Holy shit." The words came out just above a whisper and he bent down with a hand on his knee and laughed. "You actually fuckin' got him out of there." Simon pointed toward Marilyn with the shotgun.

"Easy with that thing," Negan told him with a half-grin.

Simon put the gun down and gave Negan a quick hug, patting his back several times in a row. "Holy shit," he said again. "Your lady's a fuckin' keeper. She planned all that shit."

"I know." He pulled her by the hand to him and tucked her under his arm.

"Is Nina okay?" Marilyn asked.

"Yeah." He nodded with a lingering grin. "She's inside. Probably freaking out because of all this." Simon laughed, "Let's go in before she pisses her pants... or comes out here waving a damn gun around."

"Crazy broads," Negan joked.

"Nothing's changed pal." Simon patted him on his back again and picked up the gun. They began to walk toward the front of the cabin. "Speaking of crazy broads, yours put a pistol in my face and demanded I bring her to the Hilltop to find you."

Negan looked down at her with a smile. "That's my girl."

"That's love brother." Simon smirked and led the way around the corner toward the small front porch.

"Simon?" Nina's loud whisper came as they approached.

"We have some surprise visitors," Simon said back. He made his way up the steps first and swung open the screen door.

"What?" Concern lingered in Nina's voice but it quickly diminished when Negan allowed Marilyn in just a step behind Simon. "Marilyn!"

Marilyn smiled wide and ran the few steps to where her friend stood just a few steps into the house. She threw her arms around her and the two of them hugged one another for several seconds. Nina was the first to shed tears.

"You're okay."

Marilyn nodded. "We're okay."

Nina let out a big sigh and hugged her harder. "You're a rock star." She lifted her eyes to meet Negan's who finally shoved the hood down and removed the baseball hat.

"Thanks for taking her," he said to Nina with a nod.

Nina nodded back, letting her appreciation for their wellbeing be known through her glistening eyes.

Simon closed the big, wooden door and locked it before positioning a chair under the doorknob. "This place ain't that fuckin' bad." He waved Negan with him. "I'll show you what we're working with."

Negan nodded and squeezed Marilyn's shoulder as he passed by, following Simon into the next room.

"Oh my gosh," Nina shook her head and looked at Marilyn in disbelief. "I cannot believe... how did you do it?"

"They had these underground tunnels." Marilyn felt a relieved tear roll down her face. "He was in this dark cell in a basement."

"Oh my God."

"I gained their trust. They let me start bringing him meals. They thought I hated him."

Nina let a slow smile spread across her face. "That's so romantic."

Marilyn paused and then began to laugh and hugged her again. "I'm so glad you guys are okay too."

"We've been doing what we can here."

"Do you still have the truck and all the supplies."

Nina nodded. "We had the truck in case any unwanted people came around. No one followed you did they?"

Marilyn shook her head. "No."

She took a deep breath. "I'm just glad you're both alright... and that Negan is alive."

"It was rough knowing he was down there when I was unable to do anything." She sighed. "But it was worth it. It all worked out."

"Simon's been keeping watch nights," Nina explained. "You need to sleep."

"Negan's been sleeping chained to a wall... on concrete." Marilyn reimagined the inside of the cell. "No blankets. Damp."

"Well you have a bed here... with clean sheets believe it or not. I've washed the ones we took from the Sanctuary and I'll make you up the second bed."

Marilyn couldn't deny that the sleep sounded almost euphoric. Better still, sleeping next to Negan again who was safe and back with his biggest allies was better than she could have imagined. It all felt like a dream.

"Come on," Nina waved Marilyn with her at the same time that Simon and Negan reappeared in the main room that was a combination of a living room and kitchen.

"Make these two up the other bed," Simon said, nodding his head. "I'm going to get back to my watch."

Negan held a hand out. "Thanks Simon."

"Hey... chapter two starts now." He smiled and clapped his hands together and then shook Negan's.

Nina smiled as Simon passed by. He reached for the gun and turned back to Negan.

"More catching up to do in the morning." Simon nodded at him. "You look like hell."

"Yeah, I feel like it too." Negan ran a hand through his messy hair and looked at Marilyn. "I'm fuckin' exhausted doll."

"I'll get the sheets," Nina volunteered. "Go get settled."

Marilyn followed Negan through the dark house and into an big, open room. In the corner we're wooden bunk beds, several twin beds and two larger beds that were either full or queen sized. Several candles flickered in corners of the room, providing the only lighting.

"Summer camp?" She wondered aloud.

Negan pointed toward the sheet-less bed. "I guess that's ours." He let out a yawn and Nina entered the room with her arms full of blankets and sheets.

Marilyn helped her set the biggest bed in the room and then hugged her again. "I cannot believe this is happening," she admitted. "I hope I don't wake up and this was all a dream."

"It's no fuckin' dream." Negan rested his hand on the back of her neck and massaged the area with his thumb and first two fingers.

"We're all kind of sharing a room," Nina informed them with a laugh. "You can get settled and I'll come back."

"Don't sweat that shit Nina." He peeled off his shirt, kicked his boots off and dropped his pants before slowly making his way under the covers of the bed the two of them had set.

Marilyn smiled and shrugged. "He's not shy." She managed a laugh prompting Nina to do the same.

Negan already had his eyes shut with his head on the pillow and they both looked over at him for a moment.

"Simon's okay out there by himself?" Marilyn asked.

"It's what we've been doing since we got here." She nodded. "He sits inside and moves from window to window every few minutes. If he needs us we're right here."

Marilyn nodded back. "Alright."

"Get some rest. The sun will probably be coming up soon."

The two of them hugged again and then Nina wandered to the other side of the room to her bed, blowing out a few of the candles along the way.

Marilyn kicked off her shoes and got herself comfortable before sliding in beside Negan. She couldn't wait to do what she had been craving since it was stripped from her so suddenly on the night Negan was hurt and captured - Marilyn slunk an arm around him, cradling herself as close to his body as possible.

Negan had already drifted off to sleep with his back to her and barely stirred when her arm snaked around his midsection.

Marilyn kissed the back of his shoulder several times in a row and linked her fingers through his. The last things she remembered hearing was Nina blowing out another candle and the sound of Negan's even breathing.

I hope this doesn't turn out to be a dream, Marilyn thought. She felt her eyes growing heavy and soon she drifted off to sleep.

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