"Ok, Ok, I'm coming," said Blake in an irritable voice, as she hurried down the stairs, pulling her skimpy summer dress back over her head as she did so.

It was about 2.15 now and she had, of course, kept an impatient Rick waiting for at least ten minutes now, whilst she had hurriedly showered and Negan had gotten slowly dressed.

The tall, dark-haired Saviour came thudding down the stairs behind her now, chuckling to himself and running a hand down his scrubby salt and pepper beard, giving a hearty sigh.

"Jesus," Negan groaned as Rick bashed his fist against the outside of the front door yet again. "The fucker seriously doesn't give up does he?"

Blake, who tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, finally reaching the downstairs hallway, glanced at him over her shoulder and gave a brief smirk.

"You really have no idea," she sighed a little, shaking her head, before relaxing her shoulders, composing herself and turning back to the door.

Did she really want to do this? Try to confront Rick. Try to explain everything to him?

Not at all. But she knew she had to. All she wanted to do was to make these people, her friends, see just why she was going back with Negan.

Her plan was to stay here until the day after tomorrow, mainly to give herself the chance to make things right with the people here. And that of course would be easier without Negan's looming presence.

She understood completely why they didn't like him, of course she did. He was intimidating, unpredictable and menacing.

But there was a side of him now, that only Blake seemed to be privy to. A man who would do almost anything for her…who held her…who dried her tears…who brought her breakfast and let her walk all over him.

Blake knew for a fact this was a side he would never present to Rick and the people here, but she needed to explain to them just why she was making the decision to leave them. It wasn't because she had turned against them in any way, despite them having locked her in a house for a week, or even was conspiring against them. No. All Blake wanted, was to be happy. And that meant going back to the place she had never in a million years thought she would think of as home.

But the Sanctuary, well, it did feel like a home to her now….as dingy and as dank as certain parts of it could be…there she felt safe and cared for…there she felt likes he had a purpose…knowing exactly what that was now.

She hadn't realised it at first, but she had slotted into the position Negan had given to her so well….

For here Blake was just a person….a boring, lonely woman….who had been knocked around by her husband, who people here had actually liked, perhaps even preferred to her!

But there at the Sanctuary, she was a Queen. A force to be reckoned with in this world…revered by all. And that was all down to one person…

The man stood just a few feet away from her now.

"Here, let me, Darlin'" Negan muttered into her ear as he grasped up the long-abandoned Lucille from the sideboard in the hallway, reaching over Blake and grabbing for the door handle.

He had control of this situation, she knew that. But part of her feared his big and bolshy attitude would only make matters worse here on this stormy and already-turbulent night.

But before she could stop him, Negan had tugged open the white front door…. to be met, not only with Rick stood there, soaked to the skin and looking furious. But also a large group of both Saviours, and folks from Alexandria who had gathered there, on the street below, in the torrential downpour.

The people out there all seemed to illuminated from the orange streetlamp just outside Blake's porch, all now turned towards both Blake and the bearded Saviour, who stood smugly before her.

"Well hello there, Rick," uttered Negan, flashing his pearly white teeth in Rick's direction once he had seen that his men and women had control of the situation, guns all pointed at the Alexandrians. "Now what did I do to deserve this late night call, hmmm?"

But Rick just scowled back at Negan, raising his chin and narrowing his eyes. "I should ask you the same question," he snarled in reply. "We had a deal. You said once a month-"

But Negan suddenly made a face, obviously not appreciating being spoken to in that manner.

The dark haired Saviour suddenly rounded on Rick on the porch, licking his lips and raising Lucille up in front of the brown haired-man's face.

"Well shit, Rick," he snapped loudly, causing a small hush to fall of the crowd of people below. "Last time I checked, I made the decisions around here, an' not you. And if I want to drop by for a visit, then I goddamn fuckin' will."

Blake watched as Rick gave a short gulp, his eyes flickering from the Saviour's strong gaze uncomfortably.

But Blake took in a short breath of air before stepping out onto the porch herself and gazing around the mass of people below.

And it was, at this, her breath caught in her throat. For there, standing in the rain, were people she had considered her friends…..Tara, Eric, Aaron, Steve, even Rosita, just a few months ago. But now, here they were, staring up at her, with nothing but disgust and hatred plastered across their grimacing faces.

"Negan," Blake said suddenly, braking her eyes away and staring around at the bearded Saviour on her left, who was stood, leering over Rick.

Negan at once turned his head to look at her questioningly. For her voice was now softer than before, full of a pleading that only she might be able to manage to use with him.

"….I need you to go…..please…."

She stuttered out the words, her eyes almost welling with something. A frustration and a desperation. A hope that perhaps she could make these people come around to her way of thinking. For them to see sense.

If they listened to her…cooperated with the Saviours….perhaps she could try and bargain with Negan himself….make him ease off them a little. They were her people after all. Maybe this could be good…for all of them. Maybe Blake could work it so that Rick could be more an ally to Negan, than a minion.

She took another deep breath and waited for a response, watching as Negan pursed his lips firmly together, gazing back at her with a dark chocolate gaze.

She knew that despite all that had happened between them up on that bed just an hour or so ago, Negan still remembered her request. She would stay here until her birthday in two days' time. And then she would leave with him.

But right now, he did not in fact look completely at ease with this situation.

He clenched his jaw, his dark eyes not leaving hers.

"You sure about that, Peaches?" he asked somewhat imploring, looking as though he wanted nothing more than to take her by the hand, drag her down the steps and as far away from these people as possible.

But to Blake's relief he relented.

And she gave a short nod in return, wordlessly conveying to him what she wanted, without trying to dictate anything to him in front of Rick or the others. For she knew just how that would look, if Negan seemed like he had any sort of weakness.

Negan let out a long huff of air, looking a little irate and dragging his eyes away from hers.

"Arat, Dwight," he called out loudly. "Alright, let's move out, leave these good folks to their beauty-sleep."

He gave a wide grin, looking down at Rick and leaning his face close to the brown-haired man's. "An you, Rick, will have to remember your goddamn manners the next time you see me. Because you are getting' to be mighty fuckin' insolent, compadre."

And with a small satisfied chuckle, Negan stood up straight again, turning on his heel and marching back over the top of the steps coming to stop at Blake's side for a brief second.

"You sure about all this, Sweetheart?" he asked, his tone much softer now. "Because we have space for you in my truck if you change your mind and wanted to come back with us right now?"

Blake bit at her lips, wanting so much to do that right now, but she merely lifted a hand, placing it gently to Negan's leather jacket, before pulling her digits swiftly away before anyone could really notice.

"I'll be fine," she said with a small hint of a reassuring smile. "Just make sure you bring me back a gift on my birthday, ok?"

And with that, Negan's lips just curved up into a small smirk, and he bumped his lean shoulder gently with hers as he swiftly stalked down the steps, swinging Lucille up onto his shoulder confidently as she did so.

Within a few seconds Negan had marched through the crowd, followed by Dwight and the other Saviours, beginning to walk away off around the corner, before finally disappearing from sight.

Blake gave the smallest of gulps, wandering down the porch steps, stepping into the rain for the first time, coming to stop at the very bottom, as she watched them go, knowing exactly what was coming.

And as predicted, Rick was the first one who spoke.

"Blake!" he called angrily from behind her, once the Saviours were all gone from view of the rainy street. "We need to talk. Now-"

But before Rick even had time to yell out the last word, Rosita has stepped forwards emerging from the crowd looking angrier than Blake had ever seen her….. pulling a large knife from her belt.

"I should kill you!" cried the brown haired, cap-wearing woman furiously, suddenly lunging at Blake.

Blake almost immediately let out a small muffled cry, as she reached out her hand just in time to grab a hold of Rosita's shoulder,, as the woman pushed her backwards, causing her to topple to the ground.

Blake's spine collided painfully with the wooden porch steps, as she stared up into Rosita's seething face through the falling rain.

"We should never had trusted you," cried the woman loudly, as Blake tried desperately to grasp a hold of Rosita's skinny wrist, trying to keep the knife that was pointed at Blake's face, as far away from her as possible. "You and him!? You utter bitch!"

Rosita kneed Blake in the ribs, causing her to cry out sharply, wincing, all whilst trying her hardest from being impaled.

"You don't know anything!" shouted Blake back, as Rosita jabbed the knife at Blake's neck….but Bake managed to dodge out of the way just in time, as the blade's sharp edge missed her by a mere fraction of an inch.

But thankfully, before Rosita could try again, the brown-haired woman was suddenly hauled off of Blake.

"Enough, Rosita!" cried the hoarse voice of Rick, as he and Sasha grappled with the angry woman, pulling her away from the now soaking-wet and muddy Blake….who was now laid across the ground, panting, her heart racing at a mile a minute.

But Rosita let out a loud cry of frustration, her teeth gritted, trying desperately to escape from Sasha and Rick's clutches, so much so that a nearby Father Gabriel even helped them in keeping her pinned to the spot.

But that did not stop Rosita from launching poisonous words back at Blake yet again, as Blake with a heaving chest, and aching wet body, propped herself up onto her elbows, staring up at the manic woman with a frown lingering between her brows.

"He killed Abraham, and Glenn, and Spencer, and you're here…..screwing him!?" Rosita shrieked, as Rick managed to prise the knife from her hand, sending it clattering to the rain-sodden ground.

Blake felt her breath hitch painfully at these words, knowing they were indeed nothing but true.

Now all around, cold faces stared down at her…people she had said hi to, each and every morning…people's whose houses she had gone around for dinner…people she had considered friends. But now they had nothing but an indignant upon their faces, as they frowned darkly back at her.

She would of course not find any sympathy here….she had known that all along….

But trust…..trust was something she had hoped she would always have from these people. But here and now, even that was, too, absent.

"I should have killed you the first chance we had, as soon as you walked back through those gates," Rosita snarled again, as Blake noticed Tara step forward too, out of the crowd, staring down at Blake, her brows turned downwards in a look of utter worry. "Back when you gave us all that bullshit about David-"

But Blake's eyes suddenly snapped back towards Rosita darkly.

Her heart thudding to a stop inside her chest, as everything around fell silent.

"What did you say?" murmured the caramel-blonde woman in a quiet voice, as rain fell all around her now. She blinked heavily and got to her feet, her eyes never leaving Rosita's.

But Rosita, still struggling in Rick, Sasha and Gabriel's arms let out another growl of anger, snapping at Blake.

"Well, we're all thinking it," said the brown-haired woman suddenly, calming slightly and shrugging her captors' arms from her and standing up straight, pointing over at Blake. "How do we expect to believe you didn't just plan all this with Negan, huh? You just kill David to get him out of the way, so you could get what you wanted, and then make up some stupid story about him hitting you-"

But Blake, at this, gaped, anger building inside her. Her cheeks flushed brightly as her blood began to boil.

She dragged her eyes away, looking now to Tara….

To Rick..

To Eric…

"I-Is that really what you all think!?" she said shaking her head as angry tears pricked at her eyes.

But none of them answered her, all of them staring back with a kind of hopeless, hurt-filled indifference.

Blake could feel her lips quivering, looking once again, back to her friend, who was stood just a few feet away from her now.

"Tara?" she asked in a questioning voice.

But Tara just looked away, unable to keep up with the eye contact any longer, turning her back on Blake almost at once, before disappearing off into the crowd.

And that alone hurt more than a knife ever could.

Blake stared after her, wanting to call out, but before she could, a voice to her left spoke again.

"We all liked David," said Rosita, with a sneer, as rain dripped down the front of her cap. Blake's green eyes flicked back to her now. "He was a good guy. And suddenly you come back and tell us that he was hitting you. And now you have that asshole Negan making house calls as well? Well excuse us for not believing you, Blake!"

But at this, Blake gave a snarl, lowering her chin darkly, her eyes blackening.

"You have no fucking idea what I went through," she said taking a couple of steps forwards, not just addressing Rosita now, but the whole crowd. "…back in this house with David. While you were all going about your fucking business….talking…chatting…sleeping…killing walkers….he was hitting me…spitting on me…practically forcing me to have sex with him, even on nights where I didn't want to. He made my life hell and that's the truth."

Everyone around her's gazes suddenly dropped away now, all looking ashamed.

"And I came out here each and every day and spoke to you like everything was ok, because in my eyes it was. Because you know what? I just blamed myself from all the things he was doing. Because David had told me it was my fault, that I made him do these things. And yeah, that's when he could go out there, turn on the charm and talk to you….socialise with you….because forget the walkers out there….David was a bigger monster than any of them, because unlike those dead shits…or like Negan…he was able to hide all that from the outside world. And the only person he took it out on was me," Blake continued. "And yes, in the end, I couldn't bare the words...the beatings...the bruises...I-I just couldn't take it anymore."

Blake gave a difficult gulp.

"So I killed him," she said half blankly, raising her chin defiantly. "I took Negan's baseball bat and I killed him….beat him half to death and shoved him into a cage full of walkers. And why? Because I'm not taking it anymore. Not from David, certainly not from bitches like you….and not even from Negan."

Blake brushed down the back of her pants, bring herself up to her full height.

"And just so you know, I wanted to give you all another chance, I wanted you all to see things from my point of view, make you understand that the Saviours...that Negan…that they aren't the monsters you think they are. But now...well, I see that's there's no point I even trying to make you see sense," Blake uttered grimacing at them all, staring at the faces in the crowd she recognised so well. "Because all lot do is gossip about me behind my back, keep me locked inside a house, doubt what I've told you about being abused….all of you….you're not even worth saving…"

She stared darkly out at the crowd….of the people she had once considered her friends, who were only strangers to her now.

"….you aren't anyone…"

And with that, Blake, still now her rain-sodden dress, bare feet, wet caramel hair sticking to her shoulders, walked forwards, parting the crowd as she went.

But this only caused Rosita to gape, looking at once to Rick, who was stood there, staring blankly after a Blake, a tick moving in his jaw.

"Aren't you going to stop her?" Rosita cried angrily, looking wide-eyed and furious.

But Blake turned her head to look at both her, Rick and Sasha as she passed, giving a growl and narrowing her eyes blackly.

"You even try to stop me Rick, and the moment Negan comes back here, I'll get him to make the Saviours gun you all down. We clear?" she snarled, not even waiting to hear answer.

And so, lifting her gaze back up ahead of her, she marched forwards. She was trembling now, but she wasn't about to show any of these people, not Rick, not Rosita, not Sasha, not anyone else, how nervous and frightened she was.

For here she was saying goodbye to this life, to these people she had once considered family. But all this. It was their doing, not hers.

And so, shoving through the crowd of people, Blake emerged onto the empty asphalt road, turning left and following in the direction Negan had gone, just ten minutes ago... rounding the corner and leaving, heading out of sight of the large crowd of people, having left her home and her front door now wide open…

…for that was no longer her home. She completely knew that now.

But Blake raised her head, picking up the pace now as she walked through the rain on bare feet.

Perhaps the Saviours were still around now, loading themselves into the trucks….

But as she paced down the puddle-filled walkway, there was no sign of the Saviours battered old trucks through the fenced off gate up ahead.

"Shit," Blake muttered to no one but herself.

But she knew for a fact she couldn't stay here. Not now.

And so, heading a little further around the corner, Blake spotted just what she was looking for, letting out a shaky breath of air.

For there it was, where she had expected it to be..

The blue car Rick normally used on runs out.

It was speedy, reliable and usually gassed up.

Blake hurriedly padded over to it and peered inside the rain-sodden windows. And her heart almost skipped a beat as she saw what was inside.

There they were, the keys, with a small furry monkey keychain hanging limply from them, still there in the ignition where Rick had likely left them just a half hour ago.

Blake hurriedly got inside, out of the torrential rain, slamming the door behind her, adrenaline still pumping through her veins.

She didn't really have a plan, but all she wanted to do was to get out of here pronto, and hopefully catch up with Negan on the road.

And so, turning over the engine easily, the tank gauge almost reaching half-way full, Blake put her foot onto gas, swinging the car around and coming to slow stop just in front of the gates.

She rolled down her window and peered out, only to see an youngish black man she barely recognised amble over.

"Uh, isn't that Rick's car?" he asked a little unsure, leaning against the window to talk to her under the sound of the falling rain. He obviously hadn't been witness to the spectacle outside her house just a few moments ago.

Blake wiped hastily at her tears strewn face, hoping the drizzle would have done most of the work in covering them up anyway.

"Yeah, he told me I could borrow it," she said in her most convincing voice, flashing him a small smile.

But again the man looked a little hesitant.

"Are you sure you want to be going out there in the middle of the night on your own….in this?" he glanced up at the stormy sky.

But Blake gave him an easy wave of her hand.

"I'll be fine," she said smiling again at him, her knee jiggling just off the peddle nervously.

And it was a long, drawn-out, excruciating second, before he finally sighed and stood up straight.

"Well, suit yourself," he murmured shrugging and walking over and tugging open the large looming gates.

And with that, throwing him one last wave, before winding up her window, Blake drove swiftly through the gates, and the walls of Alexandria…

…..heading out onto the open road.

It seemed to be raining harder now, with puddles forming on the road and the car's windows peppered with ever-falling raindrops.

Blake hoped now that the Saviours' hadn't gotten far, but even switching on her headlights and putting on her wipers, it was still pretty difficult to see anything out here.

Blake had been driving for a good twenty minutes….not taking the usual way out of camp, but instead, taking the route that Negan had used when he had dropped Blake off here several long, long weeks ago. Surely he would go this way, the fastest route back to the Sanctuary?

Being out here…out the confinement of that house…Blake couldn't help but feel her spirits lift….feeling happier than she had in weeks.

Last night had certainly helped in that. Sharing that particular moment with Negan, was more that she could ever have expected.

His touch, his taste….his body pressed against hers….he was everything to her. And Blake could only hope that from his reaction, it had been the same for him too.

She smiled to herself now, sitting there in the driver's seat in nothing but a sodden summer dress, her foot all the way down on the gas, going at least eighty down the empty, dark, tree-lined road, as the rain fell heavier than ever, all around her.

Blake flicked a strand of damp hair from her eyes, distracting herself for the tiniest of moments….

But that had been the worst mistake she could have made…

As the moment she focused her eyes through the rain…back onto the road ahead….

….a sudden dead and decaying figure appeared, illuminated in her headlights on the road ahead….

"Fuck!" Blake could only cry, in fright as she turned the steering wheel sharply, desperately trying to avoid an impact with the figure, for she could not afford a broken windshield out here alone on the road.

But as she swerved out, she found that the wheels of the vehicle just skidded sideways across the wet asphalt below…

…the car spinning out of control….

Blake let out a sharp scream, trying as hard as she could to regain control….

But it was too late….

As the vehicle careered off of the road at a high speed, tearing into a set of trees…

….and finally landing sideways in a large ditch….

A hissing from the engine, as well as a beeping coming from somewhere near the steering wheel was the only thing that could be heard….

...everything else was still...

…including the rumpled figure of Blake, who was sprawled forwards, lying unconscious against the dash...

I'm in a bit of a rut at the moment with this fic. Need a bit of inspiration to carry on really. Would you all like to see it continue?

Thanks to Hmc09, CLTex. ElysiumPhoenix, l0velylexx, Xmidniteangel15X, srosal1, EvilDreams101 for commenting.

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