We got back to Alexandria around midday. Laura, taking Negan's words to fucking heart, was on my heels the entire way to my house. And I was moving pretty fucking fast, needing to see Trey and assure myself that my being away for close to a full day hadn't upset him.

I'd barely opened the front door when I was grabbed by Eric, and nearly fucking smothered by his chest. "Oh my fucking God," he was saying, as I fought to breathe. "I cannot believe that Coach Big Dick Small Brain is alive and abducted you!" I was struggling to pull away, but fuck if the apocalypse hadn't made his flaming ass strong. "I know, I know," what do you know, bitch, I wanted to ask, but any noise I made was muffled against his shirt. "You must have been SO fucking upset. I mean, there he was in all his hot as fuck glory and after screwing that rancid redhead and flaunting the picture for you to find, poor princess." Jesus, I finally felt another set of hands and then I was free.

Gasping for breath, which my dear darling best friend took as proof of my distraught state, Steven's hands were brushing my hair from my face so I could actually get more air into my lungs.

"God, Eric, trying to fucking kill me?" Then I felt tiny arms wrapping around my legs and looked down to see Trey's tiny face, brow furrowed, clearly trying to figure out what the holy fuck was going on.

"Who're you?" Ah, finally notice my newest accessory?

"This is Laura," I reached down and took Trey into my arms. "Laura, this is my insane family. Eric-" He was full on glaring at her, but she took it in stride, hell she looked amused. "Steven-" Steven was more polite, offering a small wave and smile. "And this," I turned a little so my baby was facing her. "Is Trey. Trey, can you say 'hi' to Laura?"

"Hi," he offered a tiny chubby wave. This got a full smile from the warrior who brought me home.

"Hey," she was still smiling at Trey, because honestly who doesn't love cute kids? When Eric accused me of something I was completely guilty of, but wasn't a topic that needed aired in front of my toddler and a complete stranger.

"You fucked him." Shit. "Oh my God, you and Coach fucked. I cannot believe this." He threw up his hands and I nearly broke. "At least tell me that this time you spanked his horrible ass, after all he fucking deserves it."

That did it, Laura looked like her ribs ruptured from trying hard to NOT fucking laugh at the image of my tiny self bending Negan over and spanking him for his naughtiness. And Steven and I couldn't and didn't hold ours in. Laughing at the pure absurdity of the image, Eric just stared at all of us like we'd done him wrong. Horribly horribly wrong.

Laura stayed inside, she offered to guard from the porch, but I knew we'd have visitors sooner rather than later, and I sure as fuck didn't want to start it off with Negan's woman waiting for them like I was a prisoner. While we waited for the inevitable, we had lunch and as I cuddled Trey on my lap afterward, we discussed Negan and what I'd seen at the Sanctuary.

"Of course they all kneel to Coach," Eric waved off the information like it was understandable. "I mean, you of all people know how fucking amazing that man is. Top to bottom." He stopped for a moment to savor the idea of Negan's bottom in technicolor detail and then got back to the point. "I'm more freaked out by the harem and clothing shrine. Jesus, woman, what the fuck kind of power do you hold over him?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Power? I hold power over Negan?" Laura was watching our back and forth and she seemed to be coming to her own conclusions. "I think he felt guilty, like when we had that hiccup before."

"You mean when he spanked you so hard you had to stand the entire fucking school day?" Laura's eyes widened and Eric noticed. "That's right, Negan the almighty, was in a relationship with a school girl." He pointed at me. "And he was a jealous shit too, tanned her fucking hide because a guy her own age asked her to a formal. Then broke up with her at the end of the day. Seriously, he's an ass."

I snorted, and Trey giggled at the noise. "I'm sorry, he's an ass?" I stared at my best friend like he was insane. "Who practically DROOLED over him the entire time we were together? Thirsty whore."

"Bitch, the entire fucking school drooled over that man, you were just too lucky to notice, since he was fucking panting for you." He shook his head. "And now, in the middle of this horrifying fucking world, he has a SHRINE of your shit and wants you back. When do we leave?"

My mouth dropped open and I stared. "What?" I expected more kickback. A bigger fight. Hell, I thought he'd go to Rick and start planning for the utter destruction of Negan now that he knew for a fact that he was alive.

"When. Do. We. Leave?" He spoke to me like I was impaired and I felt like I was. "For fuck's sake, Amara, he said he'd ditch the concubines if you said the word, say it, and let's fucking go."

"What about Alexandria?" I asked, kissing Trey's curls. "What about Rick and our community, Eric?"

He rolled his eyes and took Steven's hand in his, letting their fingers link. "We've watched this place go from nirvana to a fucking shit show, Mara, the ONLY reason we're still here is because Trey's too little to go on the road with the three of us safely to find another life. You have to know that." I waited, clearly I'd missed a whole fucking lot while raising Trey. "Between Deanna's ineptitude, and then Rick's group's fucking holy crusade to be in charge of the world, the only part of this shitstorm that's home is this fucking house. And now we have no fucking beds."

"A little birdy told me that supplies are down, way down." Steven offered, his other hand reaching across the table for mine. "Negan," he looked to Laura for confirmation of what he was about to say, "he expects half of everything, right?" She nodded. "Half of not enough to feed the community leaves the community pretty fucking stark, doesn't it?"

"Shit." I sat back and felt Trey sucking on his fist, a left over baby habit we hadn't broken yet. "So you're both absolutely ready to go? Just pack and leave?"

The two men who constituted what was left of my family nodded. "We've been ready, Amara, just waiting for the opportunity of better for the four of us." My heart clenched, knowing that they stayed for me and Trey, and not because they were settled in here.

Before I could answer, a knock came to the door and I sighed. Laura stood, but I shook my head at her. "Let Eric or Steven answer, please?" Sitting back down, somehow reading my face and the need for her to appear non threatening to whomever had come to see us, I heard Michonne's voice and another sigh built.

Michonne looked at me like I had been a viper in their nest the entire time, which I found somewhat hilarious given that I was here first. She asked all the pertinent questions, and I answered them as honestly as I could. And then, as she was about to ask what it all meant for Alexandria, I told her that it meant nothing, since we'd be leaving. And soon.

"To go to him?" She said it like I was leaving to freely enter Hell, which given her interactions with Negan it might have seemed like it. I nodded. "And you'll share everything you know about us?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not a spy, Michonne." I bit out, standing to rock Trey because he'd begun to fuss when the tension in the room built. "I just found out that the man I love survived. Why is it unreasonable to want to be with him?"

I knew, of course, why to her and her group, hell even our group it was unreasonable. The man I loved was a monster in their eyes. Well, too fucking bad. To me he was problematic and mildly irritating, but I'd be damned if strangers were going to make my choice for me. She left, and I felt very uneasy.

"Don't worry," it came from Laura. "It looks like it's just me that came with you, but trust me, we're not alone." I nodded, feeling the fear start to dim. "Just pack, and we'll head out when you're done."

"It's not too late?" It was late afternoon, we hadn't been here long, even if it felt like HOURS had passed since we'd arrived.

"Hell no," she smiled and asked what she could do to help move our packing along.