Blake and Mia, with both of them now up, bathed and dressed, walked down the corridor, Mia babbling into the tall, caramel-woman's ear as they did so.

Negan had been gone by the time Blake and Mia had exited the bathroom, twenty or so minutes ago, which Blake was pretty thankful for. As it had been difficult enough to contend with a naughty little toddler, let alone a grown man flirting with her the entire time too!

Blake smiled to herself.

The teeny girl was now, a little while later, balanced on Blake's hip, with one sticky hand on her shoulder.

"…I don' liyk tha cwoclat miwk wif tha' bunny on…" she said in a sweet-little voice, talking about nothing in particular. "…I liyk tha cow won."

Blake smiled, more to herself than to Mia, glancing up at her.

"Is that what you Mom likes to give you?" Blake asked in a gentle tone.

But Mia just blinked, squirming in the blonde woman's arms.

"Noh, I don' av Mommy, onwy Amy. She mai frend," said the teeny toddler, matter-of-factly, looking around the corridor interestedly. "Bry-yan is mai frend too..."

Blake at this gave a small frown, titling her head.

"And are they the ones who take care of you?" she asked in a slow, quiet tone, her heart beating faster now...although she didn't quite know why.

But Mia promptly replied.

"Yesh, I baby den…" she said with a small nod, her chubby hand moving up to fiddle with Blake's hair. "…naw I'm growd,"

Blake regained her smile at this.

She guessed that Mia's parents were obviously dead, in that case….perhaps they had been with Mia's now-group when it had happened, and that's how they had taken her in.

For who wouldn't want to take care of a girl like that?

Mia was as precious as could be, Blake having placed her into a dark navy dress today, from the pile that Dwight had 'acquired'' (most likely from the marketplace), a pair of yellow leggings, and had brushed her soft baby-hair gently back up into a little bow on the top of her head.

"Yes you are," she said, jiggling the toddler gently on her hip, making her laugh.

Mia suddenly placed a strand of Blake's hair into her mouth, just as a sudden figure appeared in the corridor ahead of them.

"Oh my god! Isn't she just adorable!"

At the voice, Mai, pressed her face shyly into the crook of Blake's neck, as Frankie came around the corner, followed closely by Layla, hands pressed to their chests in delight.

Blake smiled, turning Mia on her hip to face them.

"Mia, you want to say hi?" she asked gently. But the teeny girl shook her head, frightened.

Frankie tilted her head, gazing at the toddler sweetly.

"She looks like just the curtest thing," she said shaking her head. "We were going to come and find you-"

But Blake gave a bemused sort-of frown.

"You heard from Negan about her?" she murmured a little confused.

But Layla shrugged.

"No we haven't seen him," she said, tickling Mia's side with her finger. "But rumour spreads pretty quickly in this place."

Blake gave a nod, just as Frankie cocked a sudden eye at her.

"Where have you two come from anyway?" asked the red-head, looking Blake up a down. "Isn't your room in the other direction?!"

Blake all of a sudden, felt very self-conscious, her face reddening slightly.

"I….uhhh….." she said trying her hardest to find the right words.

"Wait, were you in Negan's room?!" Layla asked her, her face suddenly matching Frankie's, a frown shifting its way easily onto her features.

Blake licked her lips.

"Yeah, but…..but it wasn't like that…..Mia just needed a bath….so…." she managed to utter, trailing off.

But Frankie grabbed a hold of Blake's wrist suddenly and took a step closer to her, her eyes full of something sad and worried.

"Just be careful, ok?" she said in a pleading voice. "Promise us…"

But Blake gave a blink.

She knew they both had more than a right to be worried about her…and knew that as far as the flirting went….Negan was a psychotic killer and shouldn't be trusted….

….right?

Then why couldn't she help how her feelings were changing towards him now…?

He had given her everything in this world…more than David ever had anyway….

She gave a small gulp.

"I-I promise…" said Blake in a quiet voice, as Mia suddenly peered up from behind Blake's hair and stared at the two women.

Frankie's face softened instantly and she gave Mia a small wave, as the conversation moved, thankfully, on.

"Hi, cherub!" said the red-head in return. "Oh, god, she's adorable!"

She once again clutched at her heart, as Blake beamed down at the girl in her arms.

"I'm just taking her downstairs to get some breakfast," she murmured, pulling a now-sticky strand of hair caramel hair from Mia's grasp. "Aren't we sweetie?"

The tiny girl gave a nod, her mouth now fixed into an o-shape as she stared at the two women before her.

And at that, Layla placed a hand to her hip and pointed at Blake.

"Don't forget about us though," she said a playfully-scolding tone. "Bring her by later…the rest of the girls would love to see her, I'm sure."

Blake smiled.

"Of course," she said jiggling Mia once again on her hip. "I'll see you both later then…"

And with that, the two women gave Blake and Mia one last wave before disappearing off down the corridor, with mutterings of 'soooo cute' as they went.

Blake felt happy.

It was nice to have some fellow women looking out for her. Women from completely different backgrounds…all brought together by one person….

Although the wives' situation was a lot more unforgiving than hers.

At least Blake had a choice. At least Negan had given her a choice…

She couldn't have imagined just what had prompt those women to promise themselves to Negan like that…..and Blake knew that she needed to count herself lucky that the dark-haired saviour had provided her with so much grace….letting her pretty much get away with murder here….

Blake sucked in a deep breath.

Maybe Frankie was right….maybe she did need to be careful.

Negan was so unpredictable….could he even be trusted?

She doubted it….but for some reason, the minute he was close to her she knew it was a whole different story.

He did something to her which drove her crazy. Each and every time.

Maybe it was his charm…his good-looks…the way it felt when he touched her…..

But Blake blinked a couple of times.

She needed to snap of out of it.

Perhaps she was playing more of a dangerous game than she had first intended, here…

And so, hitching Mia up onto her hip once again, the pair headed off back down the corridor again…

Blake unable to get Negan out of her head.

It was noisy downstairs in the large oversized and echoey dining hall.

But from the minute Blake's stepped through the doors, with Mia balanced on her hip, the whole place seemed to fall quiet almost immediately…..…with the only sound being heard, being the hushed murmur of whispers carrying starkly across the room.

What Frankie and Layla had said was, indeed true. News did obviously travel fast in a place like this. Everyone obviously having already heard about Mia being here. But whether that was a good thing or not Blake was unsure.

She prickled slightly.

Were these whispers the sounds of reverence? Or were they in fact something else?

But all Blake did know, was that if anyone did anything, or made a move to hurt this little girl, she would kill them with her own bare hands….

That was a fact.

Her eyes darkened instantly and she gazed around giving a sudden scowl.

"Anyone got a problem?" she snapped, her voice loud and heated.

And so, as if by magic , the whispers died away, with eyes now avoiding hers, and people all around her bowing their heads low and shuffling hurriedly away.

Obviously no-one here wanted a confrontation…

Not with her at least…

Perhaps being Negan's favourite did have its advantages.

She stalked swiftly through the parting crowd, and for the first time since she had gotten here, headed straight up to the front of the line for food.

Normally Blake would hang back and join the queue. But this time she wasn't in the mood to hang around while people stared at her and whispered behind their hands.

She prickled again, her eyes darting this way and that, grumpily.

At the front of the line, Blake was promptly handed a tray by a meek and scared-looking, older woman, gracing her with a small and polite thank you as she took the tray laden with breakfast with one hand, and brought it over to an empty table end.

Blake gently plopped Mia down onto a bench, before taking a seat beside her, placing the tray down, and tearing off a pancake end and handing it to the teeny toddler.

But Mia was distracted, staring up at the people moving to and fro, going about their business. And Blake wondered whether she had ever seen this many people in one room before?

It was second before the little girl even noticed the pancake being help out towards her. Finally taking it and uttering a small, croaky. "Fank you, Bwake."

Blake pursed her lips together gently, and stroked the toddlers hair back….but it wasn't even another ten seconds later that Mia, mid chew, spoke again.

"It Eggy!" she said suddenly, bouncing up and down on her little butt, with urgency in her voice.

Mia suddenly clambered up onto her feet with great difficultly, coming to stand up on the bench beside Blake instead, the half-chewed piece of pancake now hanging limply from her hand.

Blake smirked, glancing over her shoulder to see the tall, dark-haired, and oh-so familiar Saviour, stalking across the room towards them, with people pausing in what they were doing all around him, and dropping hastily to their knees.

But Negan, who had his lips pursed together, merely waved a lazy hand in their direction, sighing tiredly

"As you were," he murmured in a carrying voice, as his eyes drifted up over towards Blake and Mia.

His lips twitched up into a small smile as he marched forwards and came to stop at their side.

But, almost immediately, and much to Blake's utter surprise, the moment he had, Mia reached up with both hands, bouncing on her legs…..

And it was obvious to anyone watching, just what she wanted…

Negan gave a small chuckle, his dark chocolate eyes flickering over the baby girl, and in a moment he had dropped Lucille promptly down onto the table beside Blake's tray and obliged the tiny toddler…..lifting her up into his arms with a stiff groan.

"Now why is it, every time I see you, you're stuffin' your face full of my goddamn food, huh, Beansprout?" he said as he pulled Mia's tiny form into his chest, looking her in the eyes as he spoke.

Blake gave a bemused frown. For this was indeed a bit of a turnaround from yesterday, that was for sure…

But Mia just patted the dark-haired man on the shoulder with her floppy piece of pancake with one hand, and the other, she used to grasp at his grey t-shirt with, her sticky fingers holding onto him tightly.

"Hmmm?" Negan prompted again, raising his eyebrows and pressing his stubbly face close to hers.

And it didn't take long for the tiny girl to giggle loudly, squirming in his arms, as he nuzzled her with his bearded chin.

Blake's breath caught in her throat as she watched them.

He was perfect with her….and Blake's heart seemed to melt there and then…her lips parting needily….her breathing shallowing…

Negan didn't seem to care that the room was full of people…his people, because it was likely that he knew, that even with his warmth towards Mia…he was still scary as hell…and definitely still the most intimidating man in the room by a mile...

"Noh, Eggy, don'!" squealed the teeny girl, laughing suddenly as Negan grizzled his cheek close to hers, teasingly, his lips curved up into wide grin, as another chuckle left his lips.

Blake eyed him…blinking slowly as she did so….her breathing shallow in her throat…..and in a moment Negan had caught her gaze….

And Blake knew, that in that moment, that she wanted him.

Him and only him. For good.

She gently pulled at her bottom lip with her teeth….as Negan slowly eased Mia back down onto Blake's lap with a sigh.

He stood up straight once again, running a hand tiredly down his bearded face, as she glanced at Blake.

"Listen, Doll, I just came to tell you, that I'll be out all day," he said conversationally to the caramel-blond woman. "I'm gonna have to go check whether everything is ship-shape out at one of the new outposts, since Rick-the –Prick and his gang of fucking assholes, decided to overthrow my last one…."

He looked a little irritable at this fact, but his eyes soon glinted at Blake again, grinning and showing off his line of pearly white teeth in her direction.

"…you gonna be able to take care of yourself here, while I'm gone, Doll-face?"

His eyes travelled up and down her slender form as she grasped Mia to her, as the teeny girl squirmed in her arms, reaching for another piece of pancake, despite the limp end in her hand remaining uneaten.

But Blake gave a slow nod and smirked, her heart thundering inside her ribcage.

"Yuh-huh," she said, gazing at him through sultry, darkened lashes. "But, uh….don't be late back, ok….?"

At this, Negan's grin seemed to widen, as he stared suddenly down at her, narrowing his eyes, his tongue reaching his teeth, questioningly.

"An' why would that be….." he suddenly asked her in a low, husky drawl. "…Peaches…?"

But Blake merely shrugged, throwing him one last teasing look….

"Well, we might miss you…." she murmured lightly, before glancing poignantly away. "…Daddy…"

And with that, Blake heard Negan gave a low hungry growl, as she turned back towards the table and to their breakfast, kissing the top of Mia's head gently as she did so.

But Blake, usually these day, having the upper hand, had not been expected Negan to retaliate….

And so, she could only gulp, as before she knew it, she felt the dark-haired leader of the Saviours lean into her from behind, his fingers tracing her waist and his lips grazing her ear.

"…well if you wait up for me tonight, Darlin'…Daddy might bring you back something real fuckin' nice…"

And with that, as soon as Blake felt herself close her eyes, almost moaning at his words….he was gone…

….having walked away from her, rubbing at his mouth, smirking…

…..leaving Blake with dilated pupils, ragged breaths, and a longing for the bearded Saviour, like she had never felt for anything else before….

Fuck…..

She was screwed….

Any opinions on how this fic is going so far? Would like me to keep going for a while?

Thanks to Keward2592, MisfitCarter, alliesmiley2, JudithMosalii, Xmidniteangel15X, WickedlyMinx, Hmc09, srosal1, Booboo, rawbsten and angellvoice15 for reviewing the last chapter.

Let me know if you're enjoying Negan/Balke (….Nake?..or maybe even Blegan? Lol)

Please review! :)