It had turned into a warm, hazy day, and Blake and Mia had spent the rest of the morning, and early afternoon, lounging beneath a tree in a small, shady, grassy part of the Sanctuary.

The area was small and surrounded by trucks and vans all parked up around them, but that was a small price to pay to get away from the sight of walkers leering and starling at the fences nearby.

Blake had grabbed a few food items from the marketplace, as well as a large tartan blanket, and both she and Mia had come out here, for a sort of makeshift picnic.

So far Mia had enjoyed playing with the grass, running around barefoot….never straying far from Blake's sight the entire time.

The little girl was so precious, Blake could barely take her eyes off her…waddling about...nibbling on a few grapes and picking at blades of grass.

She was pretty much the child Blake had always dreamed of having. And now maybe….if Mia stayed with them, this was the kind of life the pair of them could have together….

Ok, this world was crappy and terrible sometimes…but here in the Sanctuary…with Negan and the Saviours watching over them….maybe they could be safe…maybe they could both find happiness.

Blake, sitting cross-legged beneath the tree, tilted her head and smiled down at Mia, as the tiny girl bent down on her chubby legs and picked a small, unopened daisy.

Mia hurriedly turned back around and ran to Blake.

"It flawer!" she said with a small squeal, holding the daisy out towards the caramel-blonde woman, and clambering awkwardly onto her lap.

Blake beamed and pushed the little girl's hair back from her face.

"It's very pretty," she said in a kindly voice, as Mia pushed the flower into Blake's hand, wrapping her free paw around Blake's neck and sitting down with a whump.

The toddler gazed out across the dry, dusty lot and leaned back into Blake.

"I shtay 'ere naw?" she asked in a small voice, after a moment or two, as Blake wrapped her arms around the little girl gently and rested her chin top of her teeny head.

She gave a small sigh.

Maybe this was all how it was supposed to be…maybe finding Mia….well, maybe that had always meant to happen.

After David…maybe the universe was trying to make up for all themonths of anguish and torment Blake had gone through.

For the first time in a long time, Blake felt truly happy….not only did she have Mia…but she had Negan too…

"Yes, you can stay here with us," Blake hummed into Mia's hair…looking up to see the man himself strolling across the lot towards them.

Her stomach automatically lurched when she saw him.

Granted, Negan was older than she was….Blake only just having reached thirty and Negan in his late forties, but regardless, he was no less attractive to her….with his dark hair, salt and pepper beard…tanned skin…and that smile….

That smile, that made her feel like a naughty little girl, every time he threw it her way.

Blake bit her lip and gazed up at him as he approached, wearing that same old leather jacket of his, shrugged over a white t-shirt, with Lucille swinging gently from his hand as he went.

But there was something different about him now…a look on his face that hadn't been there just a few hours earlier back in her room….

A frown line shifted itself between her brows for a moment….studying him carefully….

In the weeks Blake had been here, she was now able to read him pretty well…and knew when there was something wrong.

But in an instant, that look had disappeared from his face….as he forced a wide grin, revealing his perfect line of straight white teeth.

Blake blinked at him for a moment….surveying him cautiously before the dark-haired Saviour finally spoke.

"What's all this?" he said cocking an eyebrow at her. "You havin' a picnic and don't invite me?"

He pressed a hand to his heart.

"I'm hurt, Sweetheart."

Blake's lips twitched into a small smile, as Mia wriggled in her arms, pulling at the grass before her, barely batting an eyelid at the bearded man' presence.

"Didn't think it would be your thing," Blake said, wrinkling her nose slightly as she spoke. "Not nearly enough bloodshed for you."

Negan, poked his tongue out between his teeth and stared down at her, grinning back adoringly.

"Well, obviously you know me too fuckin' well, Peaches," he said tossing Lucille suddenly down onto the ground near to them, before strutting closer to them and easing himself slowly down onto the blanket beside them.

He gave a groan, as he lay down, side-on, and crossed his long legs over one another, helping himself to an animal cracker, tossing in into his mouth easily and surveying the lot around them.

Blake gave a bemused frown.

It was so unusual to see Negan like this, looking so relaxed….at ease…so normal.

He looked like one of the Dads who used to frequent the park that Blake used to pass through to get home from work every evening. The kind of men that would sit around with their families….having picnics…playing Frisbee with the kids…

Ok, Blake had to admit, he looked slightly more rough around the edges that those men ever did….but even so, Negan looked very much at home here….with the two of them….

"Haven't you got things to do?" she said after a second or two of silence had passed. "Like looting buildings and pissing people off? Isn't that more your thing, than spending the day here with us?"

She had no idea why she was feeling all of a sudden so defensive, but once again Blake tried to push that game of theirs on him. Trying to goad him into a reaction.

Her eyes travelled over his long tanned face, as he turned his head and looked back at her lazily.

"Why would I bother goin' out there, usin' up precious fuel, when I can just lie here and piss you off without moving from this spot, Darlin'?" he said eyeing her.

Mia pushed herself from Blake's lap and toddled swiftly off to pick at another daisy she had spotted a few feet away, as Blake tutted, staring back at Negan, playfully.

"You do piss me off," she said blinking over at him and giving a small goading sigh. "….but its lucky I have a soft spot for you ."

At these words, Negan's grin seemed to wide, his eyes twinkling, as he stared at her.

Blake pursed her lips, her gaze never wanting to leave his.

Everything was perfect right now…

Mia playing beside them on the grass…Negan lying there before her….it was as if it was all meant to be…as the sun trickled through the dappled leaves above their heads…

Blake parted her lips, licking at them slowly…letting out a small breath of air.

But Negan just gave a chuckle.

"You know I remember when I first saw you, with ol' Davey-boy knocking seven bells outta you, in that hall over there," Negan said, blinking slowly. "I knew that you'd amount to more than just being his fi-an-ce…"

Blake rolled her eyes, smirking, before settling herself down onto her side, facing Negan and propping her head up onto her elbow, mirroring his stance.

"…I swear," she said in a warning voice, pointing a finger at the dark-haired leader of the Saviours. "If you ask me to be your wife again, Negan…"

But Negan just stared back at her, grinning that oh-so cocky grin of his, tiling his head to the side as she did so.

"Holy shit, Doll-face. I mean, I might be a fuckin maniac, but I haven't totally fuckin' lost it," he said in a growl of a voice, licking his lips as he stared back at her. "Hell, I saw you usin' poor old Lucille on that prick of an ex of yours. I ain't riskin' you doin' the same to me, Darlin'."

He raised his eyebrows, tutting at her mockingly.

Blake smiled.

He was such an asshole.

But an asshole that she kinda quite liked.

She certainly hadn't been lying about that soft spot.

Mia suddenly toddled over, braking, what seemed like both of them, from their thoughts, and waddling up to Negan.

"Eggy, I brot yoo fwower," she said holding a bent and dirty-looking daisy up towards his long face.

The dark-haired man gave a chuckle and took the daisy from Mia's grasp.

"Why, aren't you an angel," he said in a slow, almost charming tone, his eyes glinting at the toddler as she sat up and pulled herself onto his lap. "You forgiven me for earlier, pumpkin?"

But Mia was no longer listening, instead gazing over at Blake with her tiny mouth hanging open. She looked between the two adults for a moment before speaking.

"Bwake an' Eggy 'av baybee, yesh?" she said suddenly, turning her head to look at Negan, giving a tiny, bossily little pout. "I wan' bruvver."

But at these words, Blake gave an immediate gulp, her face reddening and her eyes flickering over to Negan.

There were so many things to contend with in that tiny girl's sentence.

But Negan merely laughed and tickled Mia's sides.

"I mean, fuck me, hold your horses there, baby-doll. Me an' Peaches there haven't even got to second base yet, all thanks to you," he growled, as the toddler laughed, squirming from his grasp and running swiftly away, to hide behind Blake.

The caramel-blonde woman smirked, shaking her head.

"Yet?" she asked teasingly, raising a slender eyebrow in his direction. "What makes you think we're even going to do anything like we did last night, again, Negan? Maybe it was a one off…"

She shrugged, looking down, biting her lip, toying with the blades of grass in front of her.

But Negan obviously took the bait, easier than Blake had expected.

"Oh, I know that you are hot for me," said the bearded Saviour grinning widely, suddenly getting to his feet with a groan. "I can tell because you do that thing where you bite those plump, pink lil' lips of yours, all so invitingly. Makin' me hope to god, you'll wrap them around my cock and suck oh-so fuckin' slowly, Darlin'."

Blake's eyes almost immediately stared up at him, a flush creep in its way across her chest and a pool of wetness soaking her panties.

And for the first time in a long while since she had arrived at the Sanctuary, Blake was indeed a little lost for words.

She gaped, mouthing at the air for a moment, before shuffling and coming to sit upright, folding her arms across her chest, defensively.

But this was a worse position to be in….her eyes now level with Negan's pants zipper.

She gave an instant gulp, her breathing suddenly feeling oddly shallow in her chest, before she tore her gaze away, scowling.

"You can dream, Negan," she said a in a pouting tone, before clambering to her own feet, noticing as Mia made a beeline for Lucille, reaching out to pet it like a dog.

But Blake was quicker than the two-and-a-half year old was, quickly snatching her up and placing her down again a little way away from the barbed wire-covered baseball bat.

But as she righted herself, brushing down her hands and standing up straight again, watching as Mia, instead, waddled over towards the grapes, she felt a sudden hand snake its way around her slender waist and a pair of lips brush her ear.

"Oh I dream, sweetheart," he said in low and growling tone. "'Mainly about you, me, an' that bathtub I got upstairs."

Blake smiled, staring down at the ground momentarily, before looking up again, turning to Negan.

He was mere breath away from her now, his chocolate eyes boring into hers...and his tanned fingers dancing their way around the waistband of her pants and underneath the hem of her white t-shirt, finding bare skin.

She smiled up at him, pulling at her lip, needily.

As much as she teased him, both of them knew that last night had not been a mistake…both of them wanted one another….and both of them would have carried on if they had had the chance.

Blake, right at this moment would have wished for nothing more than for him to take her by the hand, lead her up to his bathroom….and slip beneath the hot, bubbly water with her….fingers and hands skimming across naked and wet skin…. kissing, licking and touching where they wanted…

She let out a shaky breath as she stared up at him, right here and now however, seeing that he had that look in his eyes.

That look of utter longing…

Blake moved her face forwards, brushing her lips teasingly against his.

"And if I said, maybe I could get someone to take care of Mia tonight…" she said, as she grazed her mouth, slowly past his, before his lips could capture hers, travelling up towards his ear tauntingly.

She pressed her hands to Negan's taut t-shirt covered chest.

But Blake waited there, half expecting him to grab her, pull her back slightly and press his lips to hers.

But instead there came nothing, his fingers hand stopped in their stroking of her skin….no cocky words from his mouth…

And for the briefest moments, Blake grinned, thinking that perhaps she had got one over on him yet again…

But it was only when she pulled back and saw the look on his face, did she realise that there was something wrong.

The dark-haired Saviour's face was now devoid of that usual confident smirk of his….in fact he looked regretful and almost…..well, sad.

Blake pushed herself back slightly, her eyes roving across his features, as he gave a long sigh, looking down at the ground for a long moment before running a hand down his stubbly face tiredly.

And it was almost half a minute later (although it certainly felt like longer), that Negan finally spoke….

"I told you we couldn't keep her here, Peaches," Negan said, his dark brown eyes locking onto her green ones.

Blake stopped for a moment, frowning and looking a little bemused at the whole situation, before all hint of joy disappeared from her face as she realised just what he was talking about.

"Arat and Dwight found the kid's people," he said poking his tongue into his cheek, and shaking his head. "That's what he came to tell me this morning'. There's two of them. They're claiming to be the ones that looked after her after her parents kicked the bucket. Look, I'm sorry, Doll-face, I was gonna try and tell you later this afternoon. But, well, now's probably fuckin' best…"

Negan immediately tried to raise a tanned hand up towards Blake's cheek, but she flinched away from him, taking a sudden step backwards and shaking her own head.

Her eyes travelled over to where Mia was crouch down helping herself to some fruit from a tiny dish.

No.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

Blake and Mia…they were going to be happy here…

Mia was going to be the family that Blake never had…the family she had found…

Blake shook her head again, harder this time.

"No," she said in a breathy voice, her heart pounding, but for a different reason now. "I can't-"

But Negan voice came firmer now.

"I told you that her stayin' here…that it wasn' gonna be for good, Peaches," said the Saviour in warning voice. "It ain't safe…"

Again the dark-haired man, made to reach out for her arm, but Blake pulled herself away from his grasp, feeling tears begin to slip their way down her cheeks.

She gave a painful gulp and looked into Negan's eyes.

"I-I can't…." she said sadly and painfully, trying to plead with him. "I can't let her go…I-I don't have anything else…"

But Negan gave her nothing in return, his dark eyes full of remorse, as his slid his hand once again down his bearded face. But he stared her out…trying to communicate something back to her…wordlessly.

For the dark-haired Saviour opened his mouth to speak, before closing it promptly shut again, clenching his jaw and turning suddenly away from her.

And for the slightest of seconds, Blake thought she saw something that resembled utter disappointment in his face…but he merely bent down, snatching up Lucille from the floor before striding away.

"You've got an hour," Peaches," she managed to utter in a slightly bitter tone, over his shoulder at her, leaving at tall, caramel-haired woman, standing there, gaping, her cheeks wet with tears…..

…feeling utterly hopeless….

Thanks to Dollfacex94, PropertyofNegan77, Hmc09, Xmidniteangel15X, Boohoo, Guest, Nameless Fable, FriendsWithTheMonster, alliesmiley2 and bookworm125 for reviewing.

Sorry if that was a bit of a filler. I'm feeling pretty out of it today. Hopefully I can manage another tomorrow. Sorry for the delay.

Please review