The rain had begun to fall through the trees now, as Negan and Blake trudged through the woods, closely followed behind by the rest of the Saviours, all walking in silence.

The dark-haired Saviour, with Lucille gripped tightly in his free hand, strode forwards ahead of everyone else, pulling Blake whose hand he still had attached with his own, along behind him.

But they hadn't been walking five minutes, when the dark-haired Saviour felt a tug on his fingers, Blake pulling herself to a sudden halt.

"Wait, Negan, can we….can we stop for second…please…" she uttered, her voice quiet now and distant sounding, as Negan stopped in his tracks and swung around to gaze at her.

She looked exhausted now, staring back at him with watery, pleading green eyes, that conveyed to him how much hurt was coursing through her right now.

She pointed down at her feet, and Negan's eyes flickered down remembering, only now, that she had no shoes on.

He gave a guilty sigh, lifting a hand to her shoulders and tugging her into him slightly, before he glanced around at his team of marching Saviours.

"Hold up," he uttered in a loud voice to them, causing them all to stop where they stood, raising their guns to the dark wood around them and standing guard for a moment.

Negan glanced back to the woman before him.

The person who meant more to him right now than any other fucking thing in this fucked-up world.

"You want me to carry you, Darlin'?" Negan asked in a low growl of a voice, lifting his hand to her cheek now.

But he moment that he did, he noticed a tear slide down Blake's face, her eyes fixed on him, wide and imploring.

He knew what she was going through right now…not only with what had happened with the Wolves tonight, but also finding out about Mia and her guardians.

Negan let out a harsh breath of air. Not knowing what to say right now. He was usually quick with the smart-mouthed comments, but now wasn't quite the time. But it was Blake who spoke suddenly, before he had to.

"No…I'll be fine…I just…can we take it a bit slower…."

Negan at once gave a serious nod, his chocolate eyes roving over her features.

"We're almost back at the trucks anyway," said Negan matter-of-factly. "We'll get goin' as soon as, and get you back to the Sanctuary and checked over."

But at his words Blake gave the smallest of shakes of her blonde head.

"No…." she said a little hurriedly, pursing her pink lips together now. "…please, I'd like to stay here tonight…like we planned to…"

But Negan frowned back at her, tensing his jaw slightly.

"Like hell, I am lettin' you stay out here in the state you're in, Peaches," he uttered his voice full of concern, as he trailed his thumb down at her neck, cut and covered with blood, that trailed all the way down her throat, soaking through the front of her cotton dress.

But Blake looked a little irritable at this, taking a small step back and tugging herself suddenly from his grasp.

"I'm fine, Negan," she scolded, sounding a little defensive now. "Stop fussing...I-I just want to stay in the RV…like you said we could."

A couple of the Saviour's, noticing the couple's raised voices, peered over covertly, but Negan merely shot the few a dark look, causing them to immediately turn away again, before turning his own attention back to the caramel-blonde woman before him.

Negan gritted his teeth, eyeing her, watching as two tears slid their way down her face.

Why the fuck was she being so fuckin unreasonable right now?

"Listen, Sweetheart," said Negan, trying to keep his cool, his hand sliding down and grabbing a hold of her wrist tightly. "After what just fuckin' happened back there, I ain't taking no for an answer. We are goin' the fuck back. to. base."

He made to turn around and pull her forwards, in the direction of the parked up RV and trucks, but yet again Blake snatched her arm away from him.

"What, you think you can just take me back there and never let me out again, is that it?" she bit back ,looking tearful and angry, shaking her head. "I don't need your protection , Negan!"

The dark-haired Saviour did not know what the fuck was going through Blake's head right now. But her tone with him made his hackles raise ever so slightly.

After what had just happen to her, what the fuck was she thinking?

"Well you could've fuckin' fooled me, Peaches!" snarled back Negan. "'Cause I could've sworn I just saw you tied to a goddamn tree not even fifteen fuckin' minutes ago."

But Blake raised herself up, lifting her chin and scowling back at the leader of the Saviours.

Her face was strewn with furious tears right at this second, but Negan had his teeth gritted tightly together, waiting, just waiting, for her to respond.

And respond she did.

"Well then you should have just left me there!" she yelled back starkly, causing Negan to stop, wrinkling his nose down at her darkly and staring into her green eyes.

"What and let you just be raped and fuckin' slaughtered, Doll," barked the dark-haired Saviour in a loud incredulous voice. "Now why the fuck would I do that, huh?"

The tension between the two of them was deadly now, and even Arat and Simon nearby had their eyes diverted consciously.

But Blake shifted her weight slightly, shaking her head in desperation.

"What difference does it make if I live or fucking die, Negan?!" she asked in a high- pitched voice, gesturing with her hand, as tears sloshed down her cheeks. "Mia's gone…and what the fuck can I do to ring her back, huh?"

Negan bristled at this, frowning down at her.

"There's no pint fuckin' dwellin' on shit that's already happened-" he began to utter, trying to convey to her as well as he could, that at the end of the day, she wasn't the only one who had lost people in all this….he knew how she felt...he knew how much it truly fucking hurt.

But Blake blinked a couple of times, taking another step back and staring up at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"You sent her away, Negan!" shouted Blake pointing to him, as tears slid their way down her cheeks, watering down the blood at her throat. "If she hadn't have gone back with them….those people…she might still be alive….she'd be safe….with me."

But Blake's choice of wording at the very end of her sentence made Negan's eyes darken angrily.

"You weren't her goddamn Mom, Peaches!" snapped Negan before he could stop himself.

Blake parted her lips, as the camp fell deadly quiet now…with nothing to be heard apart from the tiny pitter-patter of rain as it fell across the canopy of trees overhead.

Her eyes were on him now, her bloodied chest rising and falling hard, as he noticed a tiny gulp slide its way down her neck.

"Don't you think I realise that?" she whispered out, in a hurt-sounding voice. "But that doesn't mean that I didn't love her, Negan."

Blake chin was raised now, her face wet and her gaze full of fury and resentment.

"Or is the idea of actually giving a shit about anyone but yourself, too much of a big deal for you?" she finished with an empty scowl, sucking in a harsh breath of air to steady herself.

Negan stared back at her, his own chest tight now, as the rain began to fall heaver now onto their heads.

That hurt him. More than he could possibly say.

To hear that from Blake's own mouth.

Negan gave a dry gulp, staring back at her through darkened eyes, trying not to show any emotion now.

And so, the dark-haired Saviour merely grimaced, giving a sniff and standing up tall once again.

"I guess it is," he said in a callous voice, arching his back mockingly as he spoke, before offering her one last simpering look, before turning on his heel, his gaze now finding Simon, who was stood there to Negan's left, head bowed low…..obviously having overheard every word of their argument but barely flickering with any sort of acknowledgement now.

Simon was a good soldier and an even better friend to him because of that.

""Si," he said at once drawing the moustachioed man's attention towards him. "Take Blake here back to base and make sure Carson gives her the once over before takin' her back to her room. We clear?"

He used her name….not wanting to grace her with anything more affectionate now.

She had showed him what she thought of him tonight. And if that was how she wanted it to be, then fine. Negan had his wives…he had his men…he didn't need her.

...but that was a fucking lie and he knew it…

Negan gave a huff, but didn't turn around, knowing what the look on the caramel-blonde woman's face would be right now.

But he couldn't bare to look at her anymore…to see to hatred in her green eyes…

And it was second later that Simon, giving Negan a half questioning look, nodded.

"Cryst-al, boss," he replied promptly, swiftly heading past Negan and tromping over to where Blake stood, wet and bloody and alone.

But Negan didn't turn back to her, merely trudging off ahead of the pack, making his way back to the RV, swinging Lucille from his arm as he went...

...his chest aching...

Blake stared straight ahead at the shadowed tree-line where she had just seen Negan's retreating back disappear into.

He was gone, just like that…proving to her now how little he really did care.

Was she really surprised?

It had only been an hour or so ago the pair had been standing inside that RV, with Negan telling her that he would not give up any of his wives for her. So was it really any shock to her that this had happened.

She had pushed him. But he had pushed her back.

All that stuff with Mia. That little girl had been everything to Blake, and yet Negan had just waved his hand and treated her loss like it was nothing.

But at the end of the day, he was right, Blake hadn't been her Mom…..and even if she had wanted to be, it was too late now.

That had been Blake's last chance…..her last chance for a happy ending in this world.

Now she had lost Mia and now Negan had turned his back on her too.

She was shaken, hurting, a ghost of David lingering over her shoulder, haunting her...his words...the words of the Wolves floating about in her head...

A pain shot through her, undeniable...torturous.

She was all alone now and that was all she deserved...

David hadn't wanted her...perhaps she hadn't been good enough for him after all, and perhaps this was how Negan felt now too.

Another tear ran down her cheek, dropping onto the ground below, just as Blake felt Simon's hand reach her back, suddenly beckoning her forwards gently.

"Come on," he urged and Blake didn't argue now…hanging her head painfully…

…for this was one birthday she would not want to remember….

Oh noooooooo!

Thanks to l0velylexx, masquerade04, PokemonTrainerDecember, Guest, NerdSwag4life, Seiraaa, Hmc09, CLTex, DaniChapp, FriendsWithTheMonster, Sons Angel, MsSharingIsFun, Guest, Guest, Becca4930, hurricanebridgette, Jess, HeavenlyCondemned and Brookeworm3 for commenting on thev last chapter.

Please review if you have time! :)