The travel to Sanctuary took longer than driving to Nevada. The snow started to freeze, had a few vehicles stuck in the snow but able to have many help along the way. As the group came to stop at Fairview, the first group of the Frontier survivors were dumped into their new homes; about half a dozen then went to the Tradepost, given with free clothes and a ten pound bag of supplies to make a quarter of supplies to live in their apartments. As for the rest- which was mostly the seventy Frontier soldiers that chose freedom, came to Sanctuary and Negan and his commanders order an interview to each one throughout the day to give them a job, a place to sleep and ration dollars as the rest of the Savior finish up gathering their packs, cargo, and vehicles away and head inside the factory to have supper and try to get some sleep.

Vix was exhausted after she finished her meal, stretching her muscles out as Negan comes back, announcing a celebration in the basement bar. And hearing a celebration, Vix definitely wants a good time, but first she has to get clean and fancy.

As she finished curling her hair, there's a knock on the door. She puts her makeup away and opens the door in a surprised matter.

"Sam," Vix smiled. "You came."

Sam found himself smiling. "Heard you were back and safe. Wanted to meet than waiting for you go back to Fairview." An immediate flush blooming on his cheeks as Vix gives a peck on his rosy cheek.

"I'm glad you came."

The compliment flustered him completely, and it was a few moments of confused silence before he could answer. "Yeah. Yeah, me too."

"Well?" Vix asked, a teasing lilt to the word.

"Huh?" Sam was still off-balance from Vix's immediate, easy flirtation. He had been speaking to the woman for less than fifteen seconds, and his face was already on fire.

"Well, are we now together?"

Sam ducked his head and rubbed at his jaw. "You called it. And yes, I very much like to be your boyfriend."

Vix gave an amused chuckle. "And I accept to be your girlfriend. God, you're cute when you blush."

Sam ran a hand over his hot face. "No," he said archly, and he couldn't hold back a laugh at the bald-faced lie. "You're cute when you do it."

"Sam, I've been thinking for quite some time and I've made my decision."

"Yeah?"

"I don't want to lead the counseling of Fairview anymore."

Sam's breath caught in his throat. "But I thought- I mean, you are good at it."

"I was. But, it's not me. I like to lead when it's my family, not people you keep on complaining the same answers over and over. There was times I was stressed, never having time to be with my family again. And when I was, I wanted that back. I'll still live in Fairview, only that I want to make my own business maybe."

"You could be an erosion artist. I know there's Keith but he's not good like what Andiron Sachet was. You're such an excellent artist and you can get enough ration dollars on selling Famous Infected Cards of old and new Bounty Hunters," he smiled nervously. "What am I saying? It's your choice, not me. I'm just pulling stupid things out my monkey brain."

She laughed. Another laugh bubbled out of him at that, and he covered his face with his hand. "Sam. I'm happy you said that. Although, the business is not making Famous Infected Cards. It's also making by own clothing shop. For fashion and protection against Infected, but you look stylish. You like the sound of that?"

"I do. I love you," Sam replied softly. He froze, and realized in horror what he tingled out of him. That had been far, far too revelatory. This is too quick, he scolded himself. She won't love him completely. What are you doin', moonin' over her? You fifteen again? The silence on the other stretched on, and he felt faintly ill with apprehension.

"I love you, too," Vix drawled out finally, and there was something in his tone - something soft yet hungry all at the same time - that turned Sam's legs to water.

"C'mon. We have a party to celebrate," she said briskly, and takes his arm around hers, closing the door behind them as they whisked to the stairs.

"Well, I'm legal age to drink, right? Hope I don't become a drunken mess for you."

-:-:-:-:-

"You don't mind Negan's pizza again, do you?" Max asked, drumming his fingers on the fridge as he glanced at the kids by the dinner table. AJ was singing quietly to himself, twisting a stuffed rabbit in his hands.

Killeen snorted. "Uh, Max? I love pizza, remember? Everyone love Negan's cooking. His pizza's are awesome."

Max shot him a weak smile. "Right. I guess I'm the one that's not happy about it." He grabs the container and puts it in the microwave for two and half minutes.

Rin straightened from her seat. "So, is this want we want to do?"

Max smiled. "I mean, we will work on our jobs that we applied for. But I think this is our decision now. The RK's told us we don't them much anymore, we figure out our choices in the Ruins. To do what is necessarily good for people and us. And what I want is help people, be the new generation of the RK's and learn more what's out in the Ruins. I want to find that jet we saw couple weeks ago."

Johan looked up at him. "If we are going to find the jet, we need to tell the RK's and the Saviors about it," Johan agreed with a faint smile. "Rather not get in trouble by them."

Max laughed. "Of course, not. So, Rotten Kids, will you all agree to find the jet?"

Killeen stands up and reaches out a hand. "Heck yeah."

Rin agrees and puts her hand out, crossing over Killeen and Max's hand. "Can't let you boys go off on your own."

Johan puts a hand over Rin's. "We're family. We do this together."

Max glances over the kids and he remembers the time they were young. How much have they grown up? Max never considered themselves to be already grown up and ready to be alone without much help from the RK's. From the journey itself was terrifying as ever. The flurry of activity commenced almost immediately: struggling to fight Mother Nature, who vastly brought the dead and somehow transform them into a new infection that anyone has ever face and used to be feared upon, defending a community by killing humans but knowing they are enemies and have no humanity left in them, and making choices that were not spoken from Lalon, Vix, Lugh or Mal... He realized with a start as he stares at the faces of his family that they made their family proud. Now it's time for the young RK's to become something great in the Ruins.

"Family. We are the RK's."

-:-:-:-:-

Mal takes her glass of whiskey and approached the long table Lalon had pointed her towards, a welcoming roar sounded at the sight of Negan. Mal was pressed into handshake after handshake, and when she was finally able to settle into a seat, her hand ached from the enthusiastic squeezes. She drank, ate, and let Negan draw her into the loud, drunken conversation of the men and women around them, and soon she found that she was actually enjoying herself, letting herself celebrate their cause over the Frontiers which they are now extinct for good.

She gazed up at Negan, who was in animated conversation with the men, and with Tom and Nathan seated immediately around her, and she felt the gravitational pull to join in the conversation and having a good laugh with her people.

Negan laughed boomingly beside her at Bud before turning back to Mal. Shs caught him staring, and Mal dropped his eyes, flustered. Negan draped an arm around her shoulders and gave her an affectionate squeeze, and Mal felt herself flush with shy pleasure. She felt eyes on them, and she looked up to find Nathan gazing at them across the table where he had taken his seat, an amused smile on Bud's lips, knowing what with Nathan's serious face is about to tell.

"Lemme ask you something, boy," Nathan called to Negan, tipping his bottle at him. "How do you get a nice kid, for fuck's sake, to go for a raging asshole like you? I can't figure it."

Negan's head rocked back, and he nearly howled with laughter. "What the fuck, you ancient piece of shit. The fuck is that supposed to mean? I'm a perfect fucking gentleman. Tell him, baby."

Mal flushed under the sudden attention. "He, uh...'gentleman' might be an exaggeration."

Bud slapped the table and guffawed, and Negan leaned into the side of her face, lips on her ear. "You fucking brat," she said, grinning. "I should bend you over my knee for that."

Mal shoved at him playfully, and in that moment, with the easy laughter surrounding her. She darted her head up to peck Negan's cheek, and his dark eyes were warm as they met hers. He leaned down to Mal's ear and was about to speak again, but a shout rose up from the direction of the bar.

Bud groaned. "That's fucking Jim. That guy can't hold his liquor. He's probably starting a fight with some goddamn peckerwood over there."

Negan rolled his eyes and stood. "Christ. I'll go take care of Jim. What's that dude's fucking problem, Bud?" He laid a hand on Mal's shoulder and squeezed briefly. "Sit tight, darlin'."

Mal watched him, Bud and Nathan disappear into the crowd towards the raised voices. He felt Tom's gaze on her and turned towards him.

"You did good, Mal," Tom said softly. "It's nice to see you stick out to your people."

Mal chuckled. "Yeah. Tomorrow will be same, but it'll be different."

Tom shook his head slowly. "He's a good man, Negan," he said softly. "I'm glad you found someone."

"I'm glad you taught me about helping others. Without you, I wouldn't have the RK's. My family. Does it get hard to let them go?"

"When it was Sam that I had to let him make his own choices, I was a nervous reck. Afraid something would happen and would be my fault to let him go. But, when I saw him back in the KillGames, I knew he's grown up. It gets easier as the months and years go by."

"Now it's AJ. But, at least I didn't fail them."

"And not only he has you guys, he has Negan as your family as well." He looked up, over Mal's shoulder. "Speak of the devil."

Mal turned, and Negan was striding through the crowd, leading a stumbling Jim by the arm. "Here's your kin, Tom," he said wryly as he deposited the swaying man in a chair. "I think you should let him dry out a little. I'm going go to the shop and fix my bike for a bit."

As Negan leaves, Mal stays for a bit and visits her friends at the time, making bets to Lalon and Sam on who can chug the fastest.

-:-:-:-:-

Negan was out front when she pulled up to the garage of the parked vehicles by the greenhouse, crouched down to sort something on his bike. He wasn't wearing his shirt, the warm spotlight beamed down on the golden expanse of his broad back, Mal could see specs of grease litter his body the closer she got to him.

"Hey baby girl," Negan called over his shoulder, "be with you in a sec."

"S'fine, take your time." She swigs her whiskey down. She really meant it, she loved seeing Negan work, loved seeing the muscles shift under his skin as he moved around with a cocky confidence that sent shivers down Mal's back. Mal leaned against one of the wall, folding her arms over her chest, she waited for him to finish, hungry gaze taking in every inch of flesh exposed to him, flickering even faster when the man stood, turning to face her. Even with grease on his face the man still looked gorgeous, the black marks only highlighting his rugged features.

"You done staring?" Negan asked.

"Ummm, nope," Mal answered, pointedly dragging her eyes down the lean figure.

"You're such a perv," Negan threw a dirty rag at her. "Get your ass over here."

Who would she be to ignore an order like that? She tried to keep her pace slow, did her best to not run over there and jump the man like her hormones demanded. Her hands were itching by the time she reached Negan, begging her to just reach out and touch. She didn't. She didn't have to. The second she was in grabbing distance, Negan reached out and pulled her in, hands finding their usual spot cradling her neck before their lips met.

No matter how many times they did Mal would never get used to it, each one felt like the first, her heart thudded just as hard, breath still caught in her throat. She pushed closer, palms meeting hot skin, slicked with a light sheen of sweat. The smell of oil filled his nose, mingling with Negan's usual aftershave, it was intoxicating.

"You alright?" Negan breathed, pulling back just enough to catch those blue eyes.

Mal swallowed hard, tongue nipping out to wet her dry lips, not failing to notice Negan's hooded eyes trailing the pink muscle. "Yeah, I'm good. My hands are patched up. Might have some scraps and scars but they'll be gone a week or so. You?"

Negan nodded, taking a moment to step away from her, jumping her within five minutes of getting there wasn't exactly part of his plan. "I'm alright' just fixin' up the bike."

"Is it alright?" Mal wasn't exactly an expert on bikes yet she let her eyes flicker over it, looking for a problem that needed fixing. She had no idea what she was looking for but it seemed like the thing people did.

"It's fine, just needed a lil' TLC. Should be fine now."

"Good, I'm glad."

"Ooh, I bet you are."

Mal eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean by that?" There was definitely something more to that statement if the glint in dark eyes were anything to go by.

"Oh, nothin'." Negan brushed it off, faux-innocence clouding his voice. He walked around the bike to grab one of the cleaner-looking rags, clearing his hands of excess grease. Smirking to himself, finding out just how much Mal loved his bike had certainly been an interesting conversation, even if the girl couldn't remember it. He caught Mal just as her lips opened to speak, interrupting with a question of his own. "So how's Vix doing?"

Mal's mouth flopped uselessly, she hadn't been expecting that change. "Uh, yeah, she's alright." She leaned back against the bike, arms crossing once again. "She's going to quit her job."

"Quit?" He joined Mal by the bike, arms barely brushing as they stood side-by-side.

Mal exhaled before putting the empty glass away, smiling. "She's quitting her duty as a head councillor. She didn't want the life to lead people and deal with everyone's same bullshit. She wants the Bounty Hunters do the council now, including Tom. She was too stressed and wants to be back to what she used to be, what we were together. She'll still stay in Fairview for a while now until she wants to come back in Sanctuary."

"I'm sure it'll get easier, and she'll be home more when AJ grows up more."

"Still, I'm sure she'll find some time to spend with you and have the rest love here as well for some time." Negan jostled Mal softly on the shoulder. "And anytime you don't get with the RK's or the kids, means I get some time with you."

Mal wrinkled her face. "Is that supposed to be a good thing?"

Negan barked out a laugh, "You lil' shit." He shifted around to stand in front of her, leaning in closer. "If you wanna go then you're free to."

"Hmmm, I dunno, depends if there's anything worth sticking around for." Mal baited the man, biting her lower lip enticingly.

Negan smirked, arms coming to rest on the bike either side of Mal's waist, pinning her in place. "Well, I do have an idea."

"Oh yeah?" A shiver ran up her spine at his words, mind racing with ideas of just what they could do that day.

"Mmm, well, I gotta give credit where credit's due, it's your idea."

He lost her there, what idea? "Huh?"

"Mmm, don't you remember?" Negan teased. "Y'know? What you told me about the bike?"

"Bike?" When had they spoken about the bike and just what idea did she have? "What, uh, what did I say about it?"

"I guess you were pretty drunk. At your birthday." Oh god, just what had her drunk-ass-self said? "You told me allll about how much you just looooved my bike. Your words, not mine." Shit, shit, shit, shit. "Mmhmm, yeah, not the only thing you said of course." Negan inched closer, eyes locked on Mal's, waiting for the recognition to snap into place. "Any ideas what else you might have said?"

"N-no." Mal cleared her throat, no way had she told him anything else, no amount of alcohol would have got her to tell him that.

"Hmmm, maybe I can jog your memory." Negan's hands slipped onto Mal's hips, digging in softly before he pushed her back, encouraging her to sit up on the bike. Mal's thighs spread around his hips when he stepped closer, her hands clutching at the seat under her.

"Is this supposed to help jog my memory?" Mal's voice was breathy, already tinged with a heavy lust that was melting a path through her veins. God the man had hardly touched her and she was ready to tear off his clothes. Hands still gripping her hips held her firm, keeping her steady on the smooth leather seat, more importantly keeping her flush against Negan.

"Isn't it?" One hand slid up Mal's stomach, fingertips brushing warm skin as he drew up her shirt, leaning back to tug it over her head.

"N-no."

Negan's head dipped down, nose just touching the soft flesh of her neck, nudging it's way up the long length, breathing in the delicious sweetness that was Mal. He loved how sensitive she was, each exhale against him elicited the most wonderful shivers from his girlfriend. "It involved you," He placed a ghost of a kiss just behind her ear, "and me," another kiss, right below the earlobe, "and this bike," one more kiss, right where he could feel Mal's pulse throb beneath the skin, he felt her breath hitch at that.

"O-oh, and, uh, what did I say we should do?"

Negan chuckled against her skin, the sound vibrating through her whole body. "Go for a ride."

Mal's breath exhaled a relief, she didn't make any stupid rambles. Stupid, fucking Negan teasing her like that. She opened her mouth to chastise him when the man's next words stole them right from her lips.

"I say go for a ride, you meant you go for a ride..." He nipped at the soft skin of Mal's earlobe, before finishing his sentence, letting his voice dip in the way he knew drove Mal crazy. "On me."

Mal's eyes bugged out, so she had said something stupid. What the fuck, Mal, what kind of perverted mind you created. "D-did I?"

"Uh-huh."

Fingers found their way into her hair, the pads massaging her scalp, Mal arched into it, head lolling back into that sinful hand. Any shame slipped away as Negan's mouth trailed over her neck, stubble scratching at the flesh as his lips kissed every inch of skin there, alternating between barely-there pecks and lingering kisses that seared a wet heat into her. "W-what else did I say?"

"Mmmm, so many things Mal." His words were muffled by Mal's neck, his mouth far too busy working wicked patterns into the spot that made Mal grip the seat even harder, a soft gasp escaping her lips. His teeth sunk in gently, toying with the flesh, darkening the creamy skin to a dull red. "Never knew you could be so filthy." The last word was accompanied by a slow grind of his hips, his hand slipped around to splay over the small of Mal's back, holding their aching pricks together before reaching around to unclasp her bra and threw it away. The other hand clenched in her hair, forcing her head back so their eyes could meet. Negan's eyes were daring, head cocked to the side as he looked Mal over, challenging her with his words. "Wanna give it a go?"

Panting hard