June 20, 2017

- Negan -

Negan's been back in the compound for half an hour, and he isn't the only one watching the project unfolding in front of him. The hydroelectric system Honey's engineer designed and she and Fat Joey built has been running for nearly two weeks now. They haven't had a single gap in power, even with running non-essentials like the elevators in the buildings. It's fucking impressive, as is the water filtration system running alongside it for river water.

Of all the projects to start next, he hadn't expected plumbing to be the priority. Electricity is a damned flashy, dynamic resource everyone understands. Water that doesn't have to be laboriously hand filtered and boiled? Definite win. But sewage? That fucking baffled him at first, especially when their system was working quite well, he thought.

Apparently, the town's sewer system had been elderly and near failure even before the outbreak. Years of no maintenance, followed by sudden use? Even Negan's lack of experience with the concepts grasped the impending mess they'd faced.

Honey's soldiers have been standing guard over a construction crew. Some of the workers are drudges that Honey discovered had some useful background. Others are drudges that she's thrown into training with the declaration that experience is the best teacher. What was once an open parking lot across the road from the compound is now the biggest goddamn septic system he's ever seen.

"The drudges are almost too fucking cheerful," Negan observes, leaning against a parked backhoe.

Gavin glances at him, looking a little wary. "They do seem a little enthusiastic for a project that involves sewage."

Negan watches as Eugene and Honey climb out of a pit, both looking about as grubby as human beings can manage. When she directs workers, their response is quick and efficient. It makes him picture the career she would have had if the world hadn't gone to fucking hell.

"It's not that different from your soldiers," Laura comments, drawing both men's attention. She shrugs. "They know you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty. Same thing here. Just a different sort of dirty."

As Honey radios in an order to a crew in the actual compound, the entire construction crew clusters around the pit in question. Negan wanders closer, looking down to the conglomeration of pipes and tanks. The tanks aren't covered, so the influx of water is easily visible.

"Just how many toilets are they fucking flushing over there?"

Honey laughs, flashing him a tired smile. "That's the next system over. This is the washing machines and showers. We redirected most of the gray water to this system, since it doesn't need an excess of treatment." She continues with a short explanation of the necessity of separating the systems, flow volume, and enough fucking technicality that she sounds like her damned pet engineer and his verbose, encyclopedic speech for a minute. He tunes it out, knowing Gavin will probably make better sense of it than he will anyway.

Instead, he turns his attention on the oddball. Eugene's hopped back into the pit, intent on the junctures of pipe and tanks. It took Negan a while to dial in the man's affliction to some variation of autism, and he fucking wishes he'd actually paid attention to the damned inservice bullshit at his high school more than the basics not to get his ass in a sling over violating some federal mandate.

Negan's yet to figure the bastard out. He's not stupid or so self involved that he doesn't clue in that the man is devoted to Honey in a way that ought to piss him off more than it does. But the engineer seems to have a unique ability to disregard that Honey's fucking Negan. Hearing about voyeurism and actually experiencing it is an entirely different goddamn thing.

"Everything is holding as designed," Eugene calls up to Honey. He glances toward Negan, expression as absentminded as always. Negan still hasn't decided whether or not to be fucking offended by the fact that he as a person doesn't even register on Eugene's radar.

"Alright. Leave it uncovered for the next week for observation. We'll start the sewage side up tomorrow." Honey glances around the workers and waves a hand in dismissal. "Put away the tools and go help test out the gray water capacity. I'd best see every single one of you shiny clean by lights out. Families, too."

The little bastards are actually smiling at the orders to go bathe their stench away. It's fucking weird. Water use has been limited until recently, reserved for the soldiers and removing potential contamination from walkers.

Although once Honey steps closer, he can almost understand the necessity. There are things that smell worse in a world swarmed with the fucking dead, but the woman definitely has spent a day with motors, musty scented soil, and pure human sweat. Since he knows how often she bathes, the drudges must be a damned assault on the senses.

"You gonna follow your own damned orders?" Negan drawls.

She smirks at him and steps even closer. "Afraid of eau de construction?"

Gavin and Laura make themselves scarce the second she moves in that close. These lieutenants don't care for his private life lived so publicly, unlike the other two. Neither of them dabble with the workers or soldiers, and unlike Regina, Laura's never fucked Negan himself. They're content to pretend they live celibate lives, as if Negan can't spot fuck buddies from a mile away. Whatever makes them sleep at night.

Negan grins, accepting the kiss Honey offers. "You are about a half step ahead of the fence guardians."

Arching a brow, Honey steps backward. "Guess I'll manage to get clean on my own then."

Negan shrugs, because the idea of bathing with her is tempting, but also too fucking intimate. She's under his skin in a dangerous way. When sleeping beside her at night seemed a necessity rather than a bonus leading to a leisurely morning fuck, he put a stop to that practice.

Then the damned socially defective engineer simply took the spot he left open. Negan's trapped himself between his own pride and something he never admits anymore: fear. The last person he allowed to be important died on him, of a problem impossible for him to fix. It's not something he intends to face again.

Distance is the best way to keep this fuck buddy routine going. It's the best of both fucking worlds. Athletic and goddamn creative sex without any demands for baubles, time, or discussions of feelings. Let the little awkward bastard deal with that side of things.

Eugene's watching them even now as Negan backs away, blinking in that irritating, owlish way of his. As always, he doesn't speak to Negan, never fucking does unless Negan speaks to him first. Half the time, he isn't even sure the man registers that he's in the vicinity unless he's actually interacting with Honey. Negan does step back close and claims another kiss. Eugene's expression flickers from bland to intent, and Negan still can't decide if it's just goddamn creepy or not.

"I'll take you up on the offer behind that kiss after you've had some time to detach from the day's work." Whistling to himself, he goes back to fetch Lucille from the engine cover of the backhoe. Keeping it simple is exactly what he needs to do. It worked with that little coed that let him fuck her silly every time his wife's cancer treatments got overwhelming. It'll work now, too.

- Honey -

The hot water in Honey's oversized tub no longer inspires guilt like it initially did. Between the electricity and water filtration, the hygiene levels of every resident are where they should be. It irks her that she still has to make it a specific order at times, but undoing the brainwashing the workers endured is a marathon process, not a sprint.

Today, she's too exhausted to actually bathe. It's been a long slog of getting just the basic infrastructure supported here, but she can already see the progress made. Hope is starting to spark among not just the workers. Even soldiers not on her squad are taking notice of better conditions. She hasn't had to physically remind anyone of Eugene's uniquely protected status as a non-soldier since the hydroelectric came online.

Hell, he's probably safer than she is now. She's a decent engineer, when she has to be. But her real talent has always been in the building, not the designing. She doesn't have Eugene's sheer genius for it, nor his memory for almost anything he's ever read.

The shower cuts off, and Eugene steps out of the separate unit. She could have showered with him, since Negan ignores Eugene as much as Eugene carefully ignores him. Since the arrogant leader isn't here, whatever occurs is between herself and Eugene.

But the complete lack of energy at the end of the day is kicking her ass. She's barely even awake now that the hot water is soaking away the day's sore muscles as well as the grime. Her drowsy state has Eugene kneeling next to the tub.

"Let me wash your hair." Eugene is clad in a towel as he kneels next to the tub, reaching for the shampoo even as she sinks beneath the water briefly to assist by wetting her long hair.

Tub baths are something Eugene's never enjoyed and avoids when all possible. They don't even have a bathtub in their little cottage at Hilltop, something Honey thinks should be added to the design now. There's an entirely different sensation in Eugene's careful attention to helping her wash her hair compared to the same task in a shower stall. She's no longer his equal in height, this way.

"I need to know something," Eugene says, voice soft even as he rinses her hair one final time. "We need to know before we go to the Kingdom tomorrow." There's a note in his voice that sends a shiver down her spine despite the warmth of the water.

Honey plants her feet to slide to a sitting position, turning in the water to kneel and face him. Her first thought is that this is finally too much for him. "What's wrong, Eugene?"

Cupping her face between his hands, he leans in for a kiss that is nothing like the ones she exchanged with Negan outside. This isn't seeking to arouse, just a slow exploration more akin to a rare lazy morning in bed. He smiles as he moves back, placing one last gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I need you to take this." The piece of plastic he lays on the side of the tub is unmistakable. Goodness knows she took enough of them in the three months it took to conceive MJ.

She shakes her head, not even wanting to consider that possibility. "That can't happen."

"Hannah." His blue eyes are so earnest as he reaches out and cups her cheek. "I know what pregnancy is like for you. Nothing is foolproof, and you know the failure rates as well as I do."

She does, because he's discussed them with her, especially as the pre-outbreak medical supplies age well beyond any tested shelf life. No one trusts birth control pills or patches, but the hormonal IUDs have generally held reliable. This had been their compromise after MJ's birth, when Eugene considered a vasectomy. As long as they aren't fully monogamous, Honey saw no reason for him to undergo surgery.

Her mood shifts from denial to horror even as the signs add up in her head. She's never had a period with an IUD, and no nausea with pregnancy. But the exhaustion? Oh God. From two weeks into the pregnancy with MJ until the end of the first trimester, Honey had been beyond exhausted. Some of the family jokingly called it pregnancy induced narcolepsy.

The distressed sound she makes as she scrambles out of the water and into Eugene's arms makes him hold her tightly. He rocks her against him. "We need to know. You can't leave the IUD in if you're pregnant, and the risk of an ectopic pregnancy…"

Eugene is right. He's so fucking right. It takes every ounce of courage she has to take that test off the side of the tub and go take care of what needs to be done. Of all the risks she thought she was taking, that was not one of them.

Any ounce of planning escapes Honey as she watches the timer tick away on his watch. Eugene wraps a robe around her and leans against the counter and holds her close. "How did you get that?" she asks, deciding talking is better than silence. This is nothing like the happy anticipation of the last time they did this together.

"Requisitioned it as part of a bunch of random supplies. No one questions my experiments here anymore, you know that." The success of Eugene's engineering here is how they managed for Eugene to cobble together a radio to contact the Kingdom. It isn't reliable yet, but he's ready to send morse code once tomorrow's visit gets a counterpart radio on the receiving end.

"Mad scientist works on more than just Negan, right?" Her attempt at teasing is weak, but he chuckles anyway. He runs a hand gently down her back, and she buries her face in the clean scent of his skin at his shoulder.

The watch beeps, the tiny sound feeling almost as bad as the sight of those guns being drawn on her caravan weeks ago. Honey can't bring herself to look, but it's funny how Eugene admires her courage when he's braver than she is when it really counts. He shifts, obviously reaching for the damned plastic stick.

She doesn't need to ask the results, because Eugene drops the plastic nightmare into the sink with a clatter, returning that arm to hold her even tighter. He presses a kiss to her forehead.

"What do we do now?" she asks, barely finding her voice.

"We see Harlan. You get the ultrasound and the IUD taken care of. If it's not ectopic, then you decide what you want to do."

An ultrasound will confirm the math. As much as Eugene has adamantly not wanted biological children in the six and a half years they've been together, that would be infinitely preferable to what the reality probably is. She wouldn't be that lucky. Is it really as simple as what she wants here?

Somehow she doesn't think so.

- Jazz -

Jazz doesn't get livid very often, but the news out of Hilltop definitely ignites his usually dormant Dixon temper. The funny part is that his mood seems to ripple across the communal dining hall of Ezekiel's Kingdom like a wave preceding him. The king himself is definitely alert to the fact that Jazz is about to vibrate right out of his skin. But Ezekiel isn't Jazz's target.

"Did you fucking know?" He doesn't control his volume in the least, and even normally stoic Dianne flinches at the shout.

Harlan Carson pales and doesn't answer, and that's as good as an answer for Jazz. Paul catches his arm, grip firm. "Jasper? What's going on?"

"A number of Hilltop residents petitioned the Council to expel my sister from residence there for failure to fulfill her duties to the community." The sheer fucking gall of putting forth a Council vote an hour after Jazz and Paul left for the Kingdom to maintain Honey's cover story sours every positive feeling Jazz has ever had for his adopted home. "They pulled Olivia in as soon as we were gone."

With Jazz there, there's no way the two turncoat bastards on the Council would have swayed Bertie to vote on their side. The gentle natured school teacher would've listened to Jazz to wait until emotions had time to ebb, but with just Olivia to make the argument that no decisions should be made while everyone is grieving their losses, the vote didn't even end in a tie.

"Jesus Christ," his husband mutters, looking horrified. "Olivia radioed you? Has anyone told your mother yet?"

"It was an email," Jazz says slowly, turning to face Harlan again. "And it went to all of the family in every community."

Jazz can only imagine the juggernaut Carol Dixon is about to set underway. Hilltop's partnership with Homestead is the oldest one in the Alliance, if you count the current Terminus community as established after Honey and Jesus first met on a remote Virginia road the first winter after the outbreak. It's about to die an ugly, painful death.

The realization dawns on Harlan, but he wants to deny it. "She wouldn't put the Alliance on the line over Hilltop expelling one person."

Jazz smiles grimly even as he meets Ezekiel's gaze steadily. "Not the entire Alliance."

The king nods in understanding, sighing deeply. "I assume you will not be staying at Hilltop either? You and yours are always welcome here, so long as I am leader of the Kingdom."

"Olivia is arranging for the removal of all our personal items from all three of our homes. My family will assist her with the relocation once they arrive."

"Olivia is leaving, too?" Harlan sounds puzzled. "I understand your own wish, as Honey is your sister, but why would Olivia leave? She's been on the Council since it existed."

Jazz scoffs and shifts toward Harlan even with Paul's grip. "Did you forget who she's married to?"

Obviously, Harlan has forgotten that Bryce Roberts grew up in the same Georgia county as Jazz because he frowns. "Bryce's first wife was my fifth grade teacher, Harlan. And his brother dated my sister for three years. They're Dixons. They just don't carry the name." Like Danny didn't.

"People are angry, Jazz. They lost family members, and she's still not explained what happened."

"It's been explained why she hasn't returned. We lost family, too."

"Not blood family."

It's only a lifetime of self-control that keeps Jazz from punching the asshole. To try to imply that losing Danny isn't a goddamned nightmare just because he isn't family by blood? "You live in a fucking dream world if you think blood is all that makes family. I hope your wife understands she's not actually your family."

Jazz doesn't go for the really low blow, but only because it involves a child. Despite Ezekiel being Gideon's biological father, the king has always considered Harlan the boy's second parent after months of not knowing which man was the boy's father.

It's Dianne who lays a hand on Harlan finally. It's strangely gentle, but Jazz thinks the man looks more shaken by that than Jazz's own shouting. Her tone is carefully neutral as she speaks. "We need to discuss just how much information your brother has about our agreement with our newest neighbors. If you've endangered anyone, Harlan, you'll be joining your brother at Hilltop."

Ezekiel stands, looking about twenty years older as he studies his long time friend. "I will attempt to moderate the damage," he says. "But your brother and his ally on the Council haven't considered what will happen when the news spreads through the Alliance."

"Hilltop can survive without Homestead." Harlan's on his feet now, but reality is starting to set in.

"Perhaps. But if you think any of the Georgia communities will stay allies, you are in for a surprise." Ezekiel reaches out to take Jazz's elbow. "Let's go deal with the politics, Jasper. Dianne will handle the security."

The young veterinarian stares down the obstetrician for a moment longer. Years of medical training under both Carson brothers has him feeling numb at the idea that either of them would think this was something acceptable to do to his sister. "I hope you can face being a coward, Harlan, because that's all you are."

Jazz allows Ezekiel to lead him away. If this fucking political maneuvering pokes so much as a whisker outside the walls of Hilltop and endangers Honey Dixon, he thinks Hilltop has no idea what will rain down on that errant community.

A/N: Although I killed off Gregory, alas, some of the remaining Hilltop Council is a bit cowardly as well. At least Emmett Carson's got a better fate than ending up with Negan here... The unnamed Council member, for those who don't remember, is Noah's father, who Hershel and Cricket saved from a tetanus infection in RBM.

There's more to come, but it wasn't going to fit in one chapter.