Blake sat up in the cab of truck staring out at the dusky open road.

The sky was purple above them now, the sun setting slowly behind the trees lining either side of the dusty track ahead.

It would be dark by the time they would reach Alexandria, of that Blake was certain…yet still, a quiet sense of foreboding filled the vehicle.

Almost immediately after she had uttered her need to be sent back there, to Alexandria…Negan had sloped off, with a hard gulp…barely even giving her a second glance…

And within ten minutes, the trucks had been ready, Simon and a couple of other burly Saviour loaded into one van, while Negan had immediately pulled open a door to a beaten up, red pick-up truck, finally staring up at Blake.

She hadn't even been given any time to grab anything from her room or say any goodbyes. But she knew that allowing her that right now would not be fair. It was her decision to leave after all….

But part of her, had desperately wanted Negan to say something. To ask her to stay. But he didn't. And that said more than a thousand words ever could.

Maybe he didn't want her to stay. Maybe he was truly done with her.

There were no smart-mouthed Negan comments this time, no devilish grin….just nothing….as Blake had sidled past him and hopped up into the passenger seat and Negan had slammed the door closed behind her.

It was just the two of them now, as it had been for the past hour…sitting in the truck in silence…while the others followed in the van behind.

Blake knew why they had followed the pair of them of course….if Rick or someone from her group ever foud that Negan was alone...without his usual protection, they would surely try to kill him. So he kept his right-hand man, as well as others, close by in case any trouble kicked off. Because was the kind of leader he was. Clever and calculating, and always one step ahead.

Blake who was sat on the far passenger side of the truck now, hands in her lap, chanced a glance up at the silent man.

He was still in his usual dusty old leather jacket, his beard looking flecked with more grey than she had noticed before, in warm dusky evening light.

But Negan, as he always was, was quicker that Blake gave him credit for.

His dark brown eyes drifting over to hers in the evening haze, catching her looking his way.

Blak felt like she could cry again, her breath hitching slightly in her throat.

But all this….leaving…it was a good thing, surely?

Now Negan could go back to his life at the Sanctuary…his wives…his people…

And Blake could live out her life back in Alexandria….alone…

Negan's eyes slowly drifted from hers and he pursed his lips together momentarily, before finally speaking for the first time since back there in the hallway.

"You think ol' Rick the fuckin' Prick, will be hanging out the streamers when he finds out you're back?" he said in a low voice, as the truck skimmed easily around a wide bend.

Blake stared at the tall, dark-haired Saviour as he slid one gloved hand smoothly down the steering wheel, before tilting her head to the side gently.

"I doubt it," she uttered back in a quiet tone. "I'm guessing he'll be more interested in what I can tell him about you."

With that, Negan looked back at her and for the first time in a hours, a hint of a smile drifting its way across his bearded face.

"An' what exactly are you gonna tell him, Peaches?" uttered the dark-haired man interestedly.

There it was. That repertoire both of them had had with each other since her arrival at his camp.

Blake parted her lips slowly and gave a smile of her own, shrugging in a nonchalant fashion, running a hand down the knee of her tight black jeans.

Well she wasn't going to tell Rick, that Negan had almost fucked her up against a bathroom counter, that was for sure…

"I don't know," she said in a goading voice, wrinkling her nose slightly. "But I'm sure I'll think of something."

Negan grinned back at her, poking his tongue out through his line of pearly white teeth, before turning back to the road.

Blake gave an internal sigh, as they passed a group of abandoned buildings that Blake recognised.

They weren't far from Alexandria now.

And Blake gave a small gulp…a hollow feeling dropping to the pit of her stomach.

She ached.

Partly for the loss of Mia…and partly from the loss that was about to befall her.

But this was the right thing to do….

It had to be….

Even if it was breaking her heart to leave.

And it wasn't even a minute later, that Negan slowed to truck, coming to a sudden halt besides a sign near to a fork in the road, which read- 'Visit our beautiful new complex of homes at Alexandria- 1 mile'.

Blake dropped her gaze into her lap, hanging her head slightly…. knowing that this was it.

She gave another painful gulp, rubbing at her bare arm, her heart pounding.

Negan switched off the engine slowly and turned to her, shifting in his seat slightly one hand resting on the steering wheel…the other he brought to his face, running a hand down his scrubby beard in the dim evening light.

"Well, here. we. are," he said, his tongue reaching his back molars, as he looked up at Blake with dark chocolate eyes.

Blake hurt so so much right now…

But this is what Negan wanted…

And this was what she wanted? Wasn't it?

A new start…a breath of fresh air?

Then why did Blake want nothing more than to be back there at the Sanctuary right now…in Negan's room….maybe reading a magazine…going to take a bath…or even listening to the dark-haired man flirting with her incessantly…

He was sitting now, just a couple of feet away from her…but somehow that distance felt like miles and miles…

Blake was silent for a long moment before licking at her lips gently and staring up at the dark-haired man before her.

"Thank you…" she murmured, her letting out a painful breath of air.. "F-For everything…all that stuff with David…"

But Blake trailed off…unable to continue, for the pain and hurt was overwhelming...

But Negan just grinned up at her warmly, pointing a finger in direction easily.

"Ah, ah, ah, I don't need thanks," he reprimanded in a playful tone. "Just, no fuckin' spreadin' rumours about me being a good fuckin' guy to Rick and his band of douchebags. We clear, Doll-face? I gotta keep my reputation for bein' a badass intact."

Blake gave a small laugh and nodded.

He was everything to her. This man whom everyone around her had labelled a monster. And yes, that was indeed what he was, but that didn't mean Blake could help herself from lov-

She gulped again…harder this time, not wanting to think about it, before brushing invisible dust from her pants….trying to right herself.

Was this really goodbye?

"Oh an' I almost forgot," said Negan, his hand suddenly moving to the waistband of his pants.

Blake frowned, but relaxed a little as she saw him pull a small blade out, handing it to her.

"In case you get any of those dead fuckers on your tail on the walk back," he said with a gruff-sounding sigh, sounding like he barely cared.

Blake tentatively reached out, her fingers brushing his as she took the knife from his grasp.

"I'd give you a gun if I didn't think ol' Rick would fuckin' bite your hand off of you himself, if you were to stroll on in there with one of those," he said rolling his dark eyes at her, causing Blake to smirk lightly.

"Thanks," she managed to utter in a voice just a little louder than a whisper, her green eyes reaching his.

And it was then, that it felt like the world was standing still.

Maybe she wanted it to stand still.

Maybe then she would be forever here…with Negan…not leaving him…..not going home…

But was Alexandria her home now?

Because it didn't feel like it….

Being back there…at the Sanctuary…. with Mia and Negan….safe in his bed….now that felt like home.

And with that, before Blake could stop herself she had shifted forwards in her seat, placing one hand to the tan leather of the car interior between them, and the other upon Negan's stubbly cheek…

…before gently closing her eyes and pressing her lips to his, as a single tear silently rolled its way down her cheek.

And it was only a short moment, before Negan's own hand drifted up to the back of Blake's neck and pulled her into him, his mouth slowly moving against hers needily.

He tasted like everything she had ever wanted….and it took all her strength not to whimper desperately into his mouth….wanting him….no, needing him so badly…

This moment…feeling like an eternity to them both…...when in reality, it had only been a few seconds.

But Blake knew she had to stop….because they had to. This had to be the end.

And so, breathlessly, she pulled away, unable to look at him now, staring down between them instead….

But she knew that Negan's eyes would be on her face now, catching her tears…

And so, with a painful heart, Blake pushed herself away from him, hastily shoving open the passenger side door without another word.

For goodbyes were no good to anyone in this world…that was why she hadn't said one to Mia, and why she would not say one to Negan either.

Because any of them could be gone in an instant….Blake herself included…and so dwelling was pointless…

She was destined to be alone now….and that was ok.

That had to be ok.

And without even a backwards glance up towards the truck behind her, or the van full of watching Saviours parked up behind that, Blake had jumped out, shutting the door firmly behind her and heading down the dusty track, knife in hand…..

….feeling like her heart was utterly and hopelessly broken.

Negan ran a hand down his exhausted face, letting out a shaky breath as he stared at the darkening road Blake had just disappeared down.

She was now long gone….and Negan knew that he should have fuckin' done something to stop her.

Maybe he should have told her the truth for once in his cowardly fuckin' life. But it had been the same with Lucille.

He had only realised how much she had truly meant to him after she was gone. After it had been too late.

His heart now felt hollow in his chest…now wanting to beat as fast anymore.

And it wasn't a second later that Negan heard a brief crackle of his radio, sitting up on the dashboard ahead of him.

"We gonna stick around here for a while, boss?" came Simon's drawling voice over the line…sounding concerned.

But Negan gave a huff, frowning to himself before snatching up the radio in utter irritation. More to himself than to either Simon or the long vanished Blake.

For all this was his fault….he just wasn't good enough for her….and he was kidding himself if he thought he ever would be.

"No," Negan replied in a low voice into the radio, turning his key once again in the ignition and turning over the engine, hearing it splutter back to life. "We're headin' back to base. Let's move out."

And with one final growl of frustration, Negan pressed his foot down onto the gas and turned the truck around in the road heading back in the direction they had come from. The people of Alexandria, never even knowing they'd been there.

A mile felt like a lot longer now….every step Blake taking, feeling like she was walking to her own ending.

It was dark now…the sun having disappeared completely, leaving only dim shadows and not even the moonlight to light her way.

Part of her desperately wanted to turn back…to see if Negan was still there waiting on the road…but she knew in her heart, that him and the other Saviours were probably gone already.

Her cheeks were wet with tears, and even in the darkness Blake wiped at them, not wanting to risk showing any emotion when she arrived back at the place she used to call home once upon a time.

This was painful and distressing.

Just a few hours ago she had been sat beneath a tree, happy and content with a tiny two year old eating grapes and playing beside her, watching as Negan waltzed across the lot cockily towards her….but now here she was….all that, far behind her now…leaving only a gaping darkness ahead…that the trees all around her, funnily, had nothing to do with.

She had strayed off the path a little...recognising a shortcut that led towards the large looming gates to Alexandria…not far from the place she had last been…scavenging for fruit…when she had been knocked out by David and taken to the Sanctuary.

Blake gave a sad gulp, and stared about at the trees silhouetted ahead of her...wondering if anyone in the houses up ahead had even noticed that the pair of them were gone.

It had been weeks now, and she knew that if they hadn't come looking for Eugene, it was wasn't likely they would ever bother searching for her.

Blake held her knife at her side, raising it slightly as a walker approached from her right, snarling and snapping its teeth at her.

But Blake took it down in a matter of seconds, the blade in her hand, sliding easily through its soft-decomposing skull, as she staggered backwards, back out of the tree line, breathing hard….

…just as a bright shining light was thrown unceremoniously across her face….blinding her….

"Who's there?" came a loud calling voice, from somewhere nearby. "Show yourself."

And Blake winced, throwing a hand over her eyes as she gazed up towards the source of the light, coming from a turret sat on top a high and very recognisable fence…

She lowered her hand, her lips parting suddenly as she stared up….looking very much right now like a rabbit trapped in the headlights…

But it wasn't a moment later, that the light was suddenly switched off…and Blake gave a hollow sigh….her heart pounding as she stepped forwards…returning to the life and memories she had thought were long behind her….

...to hear the sounds of the heavy gates ahead of her, being swiftly pushed open…

A figure suddenly stepped out. A figure she recognised quite well, with a frown plastered across his face, his head cocked to the side taking her all in….

And it was moment before he spoke in a sharp, gravelly tone-

"Blake?"

Now if I was mean I could finish this fic right there and come full circle…..

….but lucky for all you lovely readers, I'm kinda shipping 'Nake' too much to do that….. ;)

Thanks to Boohoo, Hmc09, FriendsWithTheMonster, Xmidniteangel15X, Guest, MisfitCarter, JudithMosalii, Dollfacex94, Britt and angelvoice15 for reviewing.

Let me know if you'd like me to continue this fic, I'd love you to give me one good reason why you like it/enjoy it so much. I adore you all for reading this far!

Please review!