Blake was lying down. That was all she knew…

Her mouth felt parched and her entire body felt sore and bruised…like she had gone ten rounds in a boxing ring.

It took her a long moment to realise why everything was still dark….slowly fluttering open her eyes.

She gave a hard, painful gulp and blinked a couple of times…staring up, as sunlight danced across the white ceiling above her.

Blake took in a deep breath, filling her lungs with well-deserved air, realising at once that she was in her room at the Sanctuary.

The window was obviously open, because a warm breeze seemed to dance across her face as she shifted beneath the white sheets that lay across her, turning her head to the side.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Doll-face," came a sudden lazy voice. "I thought you were never gonna wake up. I have been bored out of my fuckin' mind sittin' here waitin'. I mean there's only so many ways I can read about what face cream I should be usin' or how many time a day I should be drinking green fuckin' juice."

Blake gave a frown, her eyes travelling across the slouched form of a person she recognised very well.

Blake pulled her dry and parched lips apart, making to say something, but she just coughed…unable to speak.

Negan, who was sitting on a small, rickety chair, beside her bed, with his boots propped up on the mattress beside her, reading from a severely-outdated Women's Health magazine, gave a huge roll of his eyes.

"Jeez, sweetheart," he huffed in a voice of faux-resentment, a grin twitching onto his lips. "I mean, is it not good enough that I fucking save your life….but now you got me fuck' waitin' on you hand and foot too?"

With that, he placed down his magazine, grabbing a large ice-cold glass of water from his side, raising himself off the seat as he did so.

Blake pulled herself up into as much of a sitting positon as she could manage, allowing him to hand her the drink.

She was so desperately thirsty, but as she made to lift her right hand, she noticed it feel sore and was bandaged at the wrist. She looked at it in disbelief.

"You almost cracked your fucking skull open, as well as sprained a wrist and broke a couple of ribs while you were at it. Gave me fuckin heart attack too, when I saw you lying there, out of it," came Negan's low drawl, answering her question before she could ask it, as she raised her other hand, taking the water from his grasp and taking a grateful glug. "But hell, I've come off worse in bar-fights that that. And the Doc has said you're doin' ok."

The water slipped down Blake's throat, quenching her thirst within seconds. And it was a moment later that she placed down the glass once more on the night-stand beside her with trembling fingers.

Her head pounded thickly in her skull…and as she lifted her hand to it, she found it was bandaged roughly, her hair feeling almost matted with blood at the back.

She winced to herself….as she remembered what happened….

She had been going to take a shower…she'd had her towel and a change of clothes…

But two blue eyes suddenly shone bright through her memories….causing her stomach to jolt uncomfortably and her heart begin to pound.

"So…." uttered Negan in a cool voice, settling himself back into his seat and replacing his boots back onto the bed. "…before I get back into readin' seven ways to get beach-body ready this summer, you want to fuckin' tell me exactly what happened, Peaches?"

Blake gulped…her already-quenched mouth going dry again, as she looked up at the familiar dark-haired Saviour.

Negan was today without his jacket….just in a white t-shirt….as he shifted in his seat slightly, lifting a hand to his face.

Blake noticed Lucille lying against his chair….as the bearded man, his fingers resting against his stubbly cheek, looked back at her, his dark-eyes serious, now full of anger and concern.

"Coz' there I was, about to spend a wonderful evening with Frankie, mindin' my own fuckin' business," he continued. "…when I hear Dr Smarty Pants yellin' the place down….because he's found you lying in a pool of your own blood at the bottom of the fuckin' stairs."

Negan sounded suddenly very angry, his grey bearded jaw clenched…..looking like he was ready to kill….

But at this, Blake's eyes almost instantly drifted away from his…as memories came flooading back to her.

She knew of course who had done this to her….

Who had tried to kill her…

Who had pushed down the stairs, with horrible, vile contempt across his face as he did so….

But Blake couldn't say his name, her gaze drifting down to her bandaged wrist instead…her empty hands clasped now, in her lap.

Negan stared at her for a long moment. And despite not even looking at him, Blake could feel his eyes boring into hers.

"Now I know that accidents happen," he uttered in a low and dangerous tone, lifting his chin. "…but not on my fuckin' watch, they don't. So tell me buttercup…. what. fuckin'. happened…."

He repeated those words meaningfully.

Blake gave another painful gulp, lifting her hand to her throat, but didn't look up at him.

She took in a sharp breath as he felt the welts that lined her neck…..exactly where her fiancé's fingers had been….

She knew there was no hiding that…

And at this, Blake suddenly trembled…feeling tears prick at her eyes….

But she just couldn't say his name…

She couldn't admit what he had done to her….not to Negan…not to anyone…

For she knew what would happen if she did…

She gave a painful gulp….but still her eyes remained in her lap.

Too ashamed to look at Negan…to admit what had been done to her.

What the man she loved, had done to her…..

Suddenly she felt Negan move himself, dropping his boots to the floor unceremoniously, and hover near to her…..as she tried as hard as she could, to not cry…to not tremble…..to not look like she was scared…..

But inside she was distraught…..aching with sadness…..

Wanting to scream…to cry….to yell…

But she couldn't…and that had nothing to do with her bruises or her broken bones….

"It was an accident," she uttered, the words suddenly spilling from her mouth, before she realised just what she was about to do….as she felt Negan's chocolate eyes blink suddenly. "I j-just…...I fell. I tripped…and I fell….it was my fault…"

She didn't know why she did it.

Why she uttered that lie….

But it was now done….her defending David and his actions yet again….only because she was so, so fearful of the outcome otherwise.

But as soon as she spoke….Blake almost immediately felt Negan's shoulders tense….his jaw ticking…..his eyes blackening, at her side.

He knew. Of course he knew.

Negan remained there, gazing down at her for what felt like the longest of moments …..disappointment lining his features…. as Blake felt a sob catch in her throat.

He looked angry and betrayed….as Blake pressed her aching head back against the pillows behind her, unable to meet his seething stare.

And it was then that she knew what he was about to say….before he had even said it.

The tall, dark-haired leader of the Saviours, standing up straight, picking up Lucille, looking intimidating and oh-so furious at this very second.

"You know, Sweetheart, part of me wanted you to believe you belonged here," he said pointing the dull end of his baseball-bat at her accusingly, his voice low and deadly serious. "Wanted to believe you ain't as weak as your precious fi-an-ce made you out to be."

Negan grimaced for a brief moment, looking back at her darkly.

"But hell, I'm startin' to think you're not the queen I fuckin' thought you were."

Blake felt tears falling silently from her eyes as she leaned back against the pillow behind her head…unable to look at him….…her eyes staring back up towards the ceiling once more.

For she knew his words were true.

She wasn't a queen.

She was just the sad, pathetic woman who got beat up and pushed around by her boyfriend….by the man who had sold her Grandmother's engagement ring….by the man who had sold her out to these people…..by the man who had pushed her down a flight of stairs….

Blake knew that now…

She wasn't worth anyone's time. Unable to stand up for herself.

Tears slipped silently down her cheeks as she realised David was right….she wasn't anyone.

She half-waited for Negan to continue his outburst…to keep yelling at her as she lay there, expecting the hurtful words now, tears running down her face sadly…having no reply to give him….

But to her surprise, Negan was silent….obviously done with her now…as the next thing she heard, was the door slam closed behind the dark-haired Saviour, as he left the room….

….leaving Blake oh-so utterly alone, once again…

Sorry, that was a really sad one….but there's hope for Blake…far off in the distance…..and it's there if you guys want it….?

Thanks to elljayde, JudithMosalii, Xmidniteangel15X, dollfacex94, lilsuccubus, FriendsWithTheMonster, leahscil, SUPERWHOLOCK445, MichelleJoy, bhanna and ducktapeLOVER for reviewing.

Let me know if you'd like to read more.

Please review! :)