p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"Rick's mind jumps to the first few days after the twins were born/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"Negan laid in bed with his shirt off and both babies held close to him. The minute Dr. Carson said that it was a great way to bond even for fathers, Negan pulled his shirt off and had not put it back on. Rick watched as the family he always wanted to /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"be laid in front of him. He didn't think the whole breastfeeding thing would pan out but it's been working great. They also had formula so if they had to leave in a rush or Rick was working, Negan could feed them. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"Dr. Carson had mentioned using a breast pump to use breast milk instead of formula but then realized that wouldn't work because of the refrigeration issues. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"Sliding in next to Negan and the kid's Rick smiled. He closed his eyes, ready to go to sleep after a long day but he heard the twin sirens go off. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"But before he could even get his eyes focused Negan was up with a baby in each arm and a bottle in each mouth. Rick also thought about how he had also become a wizard at changing diapers. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"Rick didn't exactly know what he had done to deserve such a family. He watched quietly as Negan sang softly to the babies. He always sang as they are even when Rick was breastfeeding. He had a surprisingly calming singing voice. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"For the next week or so Rick ran the Sanctuary while Negan stayed with the babies, of course, it was Negan's idea but Rick was happy to oblige. He wasn't good at just sitting around so this was good for him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"Heading upstairs at the end of the day Rick knew Negan's plan was coming faster than he hoped. Negan wanted to get everyone together and build a Commonwealth where we could all live in peace. I didn't know if I could live in peace with those people but Carl and Sophia were there and he was willing to try. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"As he entered their room he saw Negan and the girls on the playmat and he was showing their two-three week's old girls how the shapes go. They just laid there and played with the soft blocks he had found for them. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"Rick quietly shut the door and sat next to Negan wrapping an arm around him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN""How did it go, today baby," Rick asked as he places a soft kiss on Negan's cheek. "Well, there was poop and crying and some hugging time so all in all a great day and yours my beautiful savior"? Negan said with a grin./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN""Well, we finished another set of steel gates and got them up and fortified. Dwight hit the motherload on food on his latest run. We have enough ramen to last us an entire winter. Except for that, just another normal day" Rick said relaxing his head on Negan's back. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN""I knew I was right putting you in charge mama. Now I know you keep dodging this conversation but it's time for me to hold my little shindig and I would prefer it if you stayed here my precious gift" Negan said running his free hand up Rick's thigh sending a bolt of electricity to every part of his body. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN""I will not argue on that one. If I never see them again the happier I will be. I do hope for a peaceful resolution and that this Commonwealth idea of your works out for our people's sake" Rick said with a yawn making the electricity surging through him fade away. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"Rick let out a sigh making Negan laugh. He loved Negan"s laugh. The girls made a cooing noise which made them both gush at them. "Wow, they already want to be the center of our world" Negan said laughing again. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"Rick laughed and picking up the girls huddled against Negan and took in this peaceful moment because he knew in a world like this it wouldn't last forever and it didn't. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"Back to the present/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"Rick woke up with tears forming at the edges of his eyes from the memories flooding back. They were all great memories and made him happy so why was he crying? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"He started panicking because the twins weren't in their crib and then remembered that they had great friends babysitting. He felt a hand on his back and leaned into the touch. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN""You ok handsome?" Negan asked kissing Rick's back. Rick nodded and said with a laugh "just remembering happy moments and freaking myself out"./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"Negan was suddenly in front of him and pressing his lips to his. He gently pushed Rick onto his back and ran his tongue down Rick's torso. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"Just as Negan was getting to Rick's belly button there was the sound of something hitting the metal gates. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"Rick and Negan jumped out of bed, slipped on a shirt and headed outside where they saw a giant hoard of walkers, bigger than they had ever seen. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"span lang="EN"Looking at each other they said "oh shit" at the same exact time./span/p