Not long after we finished dinner, the knock came to the door to announce a round of 'who gets to guard Negan's baby' inside and out. Two women and two men, all fierce looking, and all who would be terrifying to me, if I hadn't survived the hellscape for as long as I had. I waited, seated in the chair I'd eaten dinner in, as Negan pointed each out to me and waited for me to ask questions to decide who of these warriors would lead my own version of his little security detail.

"Laura," Negan pointed to a blonde woman with an fascinating neck tattoo. "Arat," the woman who'd killed Olivia without flinching. "Jared," a long-haired man who flicked a look at me and then refocused on his fearless leader. And "David," the other man, who should have looked away after meeting my eyes, but seemed unable to stop himself from looking and licking his lips.

I studied them from my perch as Negan came to stand beside me. I knew, even if he wasn't thinking of doing it, that this was my first challenge. My first test of my little talent. And so, I relaxed and took in the four people standing at attention in front of me. David was a hard no, I could tell that from the moment his eyes met my person. I'd say my own eyes, but honestly he wasn't looking at my face. No, his eyes were roving over me in a way that made me want to take a long hot shower in Clorox. If I wanted him dead, I'd draw attention to it, but I had a feeling with the way he was looking at me, Negan would have his blood on his hands sooner rather than later.

Jared, the other man was the exact opposite. He'd barely glanced at me, which begged the question of why? Why couldn't he look at me? Was it fear of Negan? Or was it something else?

"Jared?" I asked, forcing him to flick his gaze at me again to show he was listening. "What weapon are you most dominant in?" A safe question, for most to answer, but the answers were always telling.

I could see several thoughts flit across his face. The way his jaw tensed. The flinch of his irritation at being asked to account for anything to the likes of me. I watched, silent and waiting, but before he could muster his answer, I moved on.

"Laura?" I watched Jared's face, seeing it burn red at being skipped over from his answer, and continued. "Would you be comfortable leaving Negan's personal service for mine?"

"Absolutely," Laura was grinning at me and I felt like she was being not only honest, but serious. I'm sure she felt watching over me would be a vacation of sorts. "I'm willing to perform whatever detail Negan asks, or you, if necessary." I liked her. There wasn't that shadow that seemed to float over most of his Saviors.

I smiled, and nodded, my eyes still on Jared. He was fuming. "Jared? Have you finally come to an answer?" I could see him fighting against growling out an answer to me, and to be honest, I didn't need to pay attention to what he said. It didn't matter. I knew he wouldn't be safe near me, or vice versa.

I looked at the final woman. "Arat," It wasn't a question, because, while she looked as sincere in her willingness to guard me, I wouldn't take her from Negan's side. This warrior woman was the one person in the entire room that I would trust his life with bar none. And for that reason, I wouldn't entertain keeping her for myself. "I think that I'd rather you stay in your current position, if you don't mind." Her curt nod, meeting my eyes and a small smirk finding her lips, was all I needed to know we understood one another.

David wouldn't be asked any questions. Not now, at least. I crooked my finger to Negan, so he'd lean forward for my decision, as though it wasn't obvious. Laura would lead my team. I'd have time tomorrow to sit with her, and discuss anyone else she wanted to add.

Once the four were dismissed, Jared shooting me daggers with his eyes and David looking like he'd missed out on his favorite fucking meal, Negan closed the door behind them and locked it. He turned to me, questions heavy on his mind.

"David is dangerous." I said, standing and collecting our dinner dishes. "Not to you, possibly, but to all the women he deems worthy of his notice. Seeing David, might mean every single person here with a vagina." I heard his hand rub down his face. I shrugged. "He couldn't keep his eyes off of me, and not my lovely face."

I felt Negan's arms wrap around me from behind and leaned back into his chest. "Jared hates authority. Especially a woman's. And he hates to be questioned." I felt Negan stiffen. "One day soon it's going to end badly for him, he's going to press the wrong person, and he'll end up dead." I said it as matter-of-fact as I could, because it was true.

"And Arat-"

"You don't want her because she killed your friend." He answered for me, and I turned in his arms and looked up at him.

I shook my head and cupped his cheek. "No," my voice was quiet, but sure. "I don't want Arat because she doesn't hesitate to protect you. She's fierce, she's loyal and she doesn't flinch to keep your ass alive. I won't take her because with her beside you, I know you'll keep coming back to me." And there it was. My own proof of how I felt without saying the 'l' word.

The look on his face was priceless. I'm sure it was the same one I'd worn when he'd made his own declaration about his feelings about me. And then he lowered his head and our lips met, that fire that he'd begged me to recognize in the laundry room in Alexandria flared up. For once, he knew that I felt it too. Just as strongly, just as real.

Our morning began as our mornings were destined to begin every day from here to the end of time, wrapped up in one another, a moment of irritation from me for the daring nature of the sun to wake me up, and then Negan reminding me why being awake with him wasn't such a horrible experience. As we sat at breakfast, me in his discarded t-shirt, him shirtless and irresistible, we talked.

I was slowly learning that with Negan, it wasn't just physical. We could talk, about Sanctuary business and about how I could see things that he didn't notice, along with our pasts. This morning, he reminded me of my promise to tell him about my stellar romantic history. AKA how many times and places had Callie gotten caught in the middle of something?

I'd just finished telling him about the time my best friend's entire family had walked in on her brother and I in their living room, his laughter rolling around me when he glanced up, those gorgeous eyes of his dark with desire. I licked my lip, and went for the one that I knew would make him the most shocked.

"Then there was the time I got caught by Dad's fellow sheriff deputies." Negan's eyes widened, his grin so full that I almost lost sight of his dimples. "Bar parking lot, after hours, got too hot in the truck so we opened the door. He had me bent over the seat and I was ALMOST there, when the spot light hit us, and there were two honorary uncles telling us to get the fuck home." I stopped, and took a drink of water for a dramatic pause. "I asked if we could finish first, because I was nearly there."

That did it, Negan pounded the table with his fist, laughter bursting from him like a broken fire hydrant. "Oh my god, princess, that's too fucking much. What the fuck did Rick say?"

I blushed, bright burning red. "Um, yeah, well it was even worse. One of those 'uncles' mentioned to Dad that he hadn't noticed how grown I'd gotten." Dad had slapped the fuck out of that guy, not Shane, but another gross ass deputy. "He nearly got put on suspension for hitting the fucker, said it was worth it, and begged me to THINK about where I was when the urge hit." I shrugged and bit my lip at the memory. It was gross, thinking about someone who'd watched me grow up and still had that thought hit him when I was in the throws of passion with someone else. Ew.

He was watching my face, and I saw that cloud descend. He was agreeing with Dad, I could tell, and I was thankful that that deputy was most certainly dead now. Negan, needing a break, changed topics.

"Your talent was impressive last night." He started, finishing his breakfast. "I'll be keeping David under more scrutiny. I fucking hate men who think women are prey." I considered his look as he'd crawl up the bed, predatory, but fully consensual and understood. "As for Jared," he sighed and sat back. I hadn't been able to fully articulate his danger. Yet, he knew that he was dangerous, I had a feeling he heard it from others. "He's been working with Gavin collecting from the Kingdom." I felt my stomach flip. The Kingdom? Hadn't they been released from their servitude, like Alexandria? "Gavin told me he was having issues with him, but Dwight mentioned a change of duty might help." Of course, Dwight mentioned. My thoughts were still twisted, curious about the Kingdom and what this information meant. "I'll have to consider what his next spot will be."

"The Kingdom?" I asked, taking another drink, feeling a bit dizzy at the thought that I really should have listened to the treaty that came at the price of me being here. "Aren't they included in the deal Dad made with you?" They had helped, were helping, by giving Carol a place to recoup from her freak out during the attacks.

Negan's look was one of shock. "Sweetheart, no." He shook his head, staring at me with wonder. Clearly he assumed I knew more than I obviously did. "The only community that's had their requirements levied was Alexandria. I told you, I was only willing to give up that." He was reminding me of the vagueness I'd listened to. Shit. "Callie, you knew that, I told you." It was nearly a plea. Nearly, but tinged with exasperation at my disbelief.

I swallowed the knot that was growing in my throat. "Yeah, I did." I nodded, feeling the fear for Maggie, situated in Hilltop, at the mercy of that idiot Gregory. "Sorry, must have been a few longer days than I thought." I was trying to keep my panic at bay, trying to keep myself calm, but I realized that I'd consider myself part martyr for choosing him, and I hadn't even thought to hear the full details. I was going to have to censor my thoughts or ideas about Maggie, didn't Negan think she died? I'd have to pray that she wasn't attempting to create an army to fight him, and for the first time I wasn't entirely sure which side I'd be on in that fight.

Negan was watching me, of course, and I knew even without my little talent he'd read me fairly well. He saw far more than most people would give him credit for, seeing only the cock surety of his personality and the ego he allowed flow around him like armor, but I knew. I knew that he could see more and figure out how to appease it, or use it to his advantage.

"Callie," his voice urged me to look at him. And like a moth to a flame, I complied with both the power of his voice and my own need to see him. "You have to understand," he was trying to explain himself, trying to make me realize his reasoning, and I did. It didn't make it an easier pill to swallow. "This place runs as well as it does, it stays going and we stay safe because of the other communities." I nodded, knowing this, but feeling him trying to reassure me helped calm me somewhat. "I'm not unfair, sweetheart, even if the parts that you heard sound like it, even if the way you experienced it made it seem like it." I knew he was thinking about our beds. "We keep them safe, we keep ourselves going. That's it. Taxation."

"Without representation?" I asked, not judging, but trying so desperately to really understand. I knew my eyes were showing how desperate I was for him to calm me, to show me who he was under the badass leader I'd seen, that one that turned me on, and the one that everyone feared.

He sighed. "People are resources, Callie." His tell, a hand rubbing down his face, showing his feeling of losing control of any situation. "I, we, don't fucking kill people randomly. No matter how it might seem from the situation your dad put me in. Every community I, we take supplies from, helps build us, and in return-"

"Safety," I repeat. What are they gaining security from, I wondered? Unknown dangers, or looking at the father of my unborn child, you?