On some days in this part of the country, the humidity was often so unbearable that it was a good thing when a storm finally crashed its way across the sky, breaking up the low-lying cloud and threatening a heavy downpour at any second.

But not today.

Today Blake wanted the closeness of the air….to feel the thick heat against her perspiration-covered skin as she stood in front of the tall, looming gates to the place she had once called home, watching them roll slowly open.

"You alright, Peaches?" came the familiar low hum of Negan who was stood close at her side now, his chin lifted firmly and his eyes fixed on a point straight ahead of him.

But Blake merely raised her own chin now, mirroring his intimidating stance.

She was alright.

Being back here, only serving to remind her of the hell she had been through living here with David...and how alien it had felt to return here afterwards….how these people had made her feel like an outsider…locked her in her house like she was some sort of prisoner.

But no more.

For even since then….just a few short weeks ago, Blake had changed for the better.

She was stronger now and through Negan and the rest of the Saviour's assurances, she knew that she didn't have to put up with people treating her like shit anymore.

She was more than just David's fiancée now.

She was a queen. Headstrong and willing to fight for, not only herself, but her people too.

For that was what they were now, the Saviours. Far more so than the people here at Alexandria had ever been at least…

"I'm good," Blake murmured back, reassuring the man she loved now that they were on the same page.

Both of them knew how wily the people here could be. And one wrong move…if either of them seemed like they were in any sort of danger, both Blake and Negan knew that they would take the shot or the swing and bring that person, whoever it was, down. No exceptions.

Blake had Negan's back, just as he had hers, each one of the formidable pair standing tall and intimidating, side-by-side as the gates opened fully before them.

But Blake tensed as she caught sight of what was on the others side, a small almost invisible gulp trailing its way down her slender throat. But even so, she kept her head held high as both she and Negan, followed close behind by Arat, strolled through the open entranceway.

"Well hello there, Rick," said Negan, a small smirk inching its way over his bearded lips. But Blake's eyes were not trained on him now, but instead the sight dead-ahead of her.

For there was Rick and Michonne, stood just in front of a large group of Alexandrians, all of which Blake recognised, all of whom were currently staring at her with a look of utter shock and disbelief plastered across their faces.

But Blake, like she had done at the Hilltop, no longer cared about what these people thought of her, as Rick hovering there, with narrowed beady eyes, gazed at her and only her, tilting his head questioningly and opening his mouth to speak.

But Blake did not give him time to say anything.

"Where is she?" she murmured in a threatening voice, low and dark.

But there followed only silence…

From Rick…

From Michonne…

From everyone…

And Blake could feel her blood begin to boil now.

She had come all this way…back to this hellish place…. to get Mia back.

And that was what she was going to do, even if it was the last thing she ever did.

But Negan at her side, obviously sensing her frustration, readjusted his grip on Lucille intimidatingly.

"You heard the fuckin' lady…" he growled, gesturing at the air with his free hand. "Where's the kid?"

For that at the end of the day was all Blake was here for. Whatever agenda Negan had, taking their monthly offering, she didn't care. That was just business and she trusted Negan enough to not ask questions these days. But this….this was hers to handle, her hand drifting to the gun currently tucked into the waistband of her pants.

Butt to her dismay and revulsion, the residents of Alexandria merely stared back at her, afraid and aghast at the sight of woman many of them had lived right across the street from, standing there before them now, tall and menacing, and undoubtedly a Saviour.

For Blake exuded a confidence now that she hadn't had before.

And that was all down to the man at her side, who now took a long-legged stride forward, coming to stand nose-to-nose with Rick, leering down at him with darkened eyes… just as a large group of Saviours including Simon and Dwight surrounded the crowd of Alexandrians, guns griped tightly in their hands.

"You really gonna keep us fuckin' waiting, Rick?" Negan murmured in what was barely a whisper now. But the message was there all the same, Blake watching as the brown-haired man's eyes drift quickly away, falling down to the floor.

Rick these days looked utterly lost and far from the leader Blake had once seen him as.

And it angered her now to think that he was keeping Mia here now…like a prisoner.

Just like Blake had been.

But a sudden voice, said her name loud and clear breaking her from these thoughts and causing her thumb that was angling for the safety on her gun to retract just a little.

"Blake…you don't have to this," came the voice of Michonne, as the black woman stepped forwards, lifting her hand up to sate Blake a little, her eyes soft and sad now. "The little girl is safe…look, whatever he wants you to do-"

But Blake knew of course who she was referring to and bristled at Michonne's words almost instantly, a scowl shifting its way between her brows now, clenching her free fist at her side.

"You really have no fucking clue do you?" Blake snapped suddenly, a sharp silence falling over everyone as a rumble of thunder was heard in the distance.

But Michonne merely stared back at Blake taking a tiny step back now, as Blake grimaced, her green eyes blackening.

"That little girl is mine," she growled. "And if you don't tell me where the fuck she is in the next five seconds, I'll have each one of our people search and loot every single house here and then burn them to the ground one by one until we find her. You take her from me and will I will take everything from you. Are we clear on that?"

Rick and Michonne looked at one another now, a little panicked , as to her left, Blake saw Negan look her way, licking at his lips and give an appreciative whine of glee.

But Blake wasn't feeling so amused, her eyes drifting to Simon and then to Dwight who were staring back at her now, just waiting on her orders….just as they usually did with Negan.

And that was when Blake finally realised who she was. Where she truly belonged.

"Five…" she began to count aloud.

At her side she saw Negan clap his hands together excitedly.

"Oh Peaches…" she heard him murmured out in appreciation. "You are a fuckin' goddess right now!"

"Four…" she called out again, her gaze and her breathing steady.

But a voice cut through the oppressive silence suddenly.

"Pfft. We are not about to give up that kid just because you and that asshole want to play happy families," came the aggressive voice of Rosita, standing there, khaki green baseball cat pulled down over her eyes, and her mouth set into an poisonous grimace, as she stepped out from the small gathered crowd, her arms folded across herself.

God, Blake hated her. She had been the one whispering poisonous words into everyone 's words on Blake's return here last time. And that was something the caramel-blonde woman had not forgotten.

But it was Negan's turn to address these people now, as he stepped a little closer to Blake's side protectively, eyeing the brown-haired woman and pointing at her with the end of his barbed-wire covered baseball bat.

"Oh, looky. Who do we have here?" said Negan in a sarcastic voice, leaning back against his heels as he spoke. "Oh yeah, if it ain't the goddamn woman who tried to put a bullet in me. Oho, Lucille is still fuckin' reeeeelin' from that. An' you know what, actually….so. am. I…."

Blake glanced Negan's way for brief moment now, watching as he gave a heavy blink, his face becoming far more serious that it had been just a second or two ago.

"So you know what? For that fuckin' outburst," he continued, nudging Blake gently in the side with his elbow. "I say we skip 'three' altogether, Peaches."

And at his words, Blake couldn't hep her lips twitch up into a wickedly dark smile. "Oh I agree…" she said in a dangerous voice, staring back towards the crowd and Rosita once more. "Two…"

It was obvious to anyone now, the Alexandrians, and the Saviours alike, that Blake and Negan were a powerful duo not to be messed with….as Rosita retreated back into the crowd and Rick took a step forwards, both of his hands raised aloft.

"Look we can talk about this…Blake…." he murmured out in a dry-sounding drawl. "Please…"

But Blake took a sudden step towards the bearded man now, pulling her gun from the back of her pants and pointing it just four or five feet away from Rick's skull.

"Well I don't particularly want to talk to you, Rick….or any of you for that matter," said Blake in an icy voice, feeling bruised by the memories of this place and these people, as her eyes found Aaron and Eric in the crowd. Her old friends who had soon shown their true colours, siding with Rosita who had accused Blake of lying about David. "And guess what?"

The caramel-blonde woman looked Negan's way now, watching as the dark-haired Saviour grinned back at her knowingly, giving a nod of support for what she was about to do, before she turned back to face her ex-village mates.

"…times up…." she managed to utter out simply, removing the safety from her gun now, as a worried sounding murmur swooped over the crowd.

And Blake could only watch as a bead of sweat ran its way down Rick's temples, as he stared down the barrel of Blake's gun.

"Simon, Arat," Balked said loudly, never once taking her green eyes off Rick. "Search and burn every house."

And Simon, returning Blake's look with an obedient nod, smirked slightly, as he turned to his men.

"Well, you heard the lady," he barked, as the worried murmur from the crowd grew louder, a woman's sharp woman's wail being heard, as well as the sight of people of all ages running back off towards their houses in panic.

Blake wasn't happy about this. Of course she wasn't. But all Rick had needed to do was give up Mia.

But instead, as always, he was being as cowardly as ever. Going against her for the sake of it, rather it just being the sensible thing to do…

But before the Saviours could move and get far, a sudden voice stopped everyone in their tracks, including Blake herself-

"SHE'S WITH ME! She's here..."

And with that, Blake looked up and over the heads of the large crowd, to see Tara, standing there at the top of her porch steps on the house nearest to the front gates, her voice a picture of hurt and distress.

And Blake, at seeing her old friend, gave a pained gulp and lowered her gun slightly.

Tara had always had here back, here at Alexandria.

The pair of them had been close…and over the months of abuse, Blake had been close to telling Tara everything about David on several occasions, but in the end had always been too frightened to do so.

And yet the last time Blake had been here on that fateful night when people had seen both Blake and Negan together, finding out the truth, Tara had turned her back on Blake and not stood up or defended her when Rosita had attacked her.

No….there was certainly no love lost between the blonde-haired Blake and the dark-haired Tara, that was obvious, as the women stood here now, eyes locked and jaws set.

But everyone here stood still now…

Watching and waiting…even Negan, who looked to Blake, leaning in towards her now.

"You want me to come with you, Darlin'?" he murmured in a voice that was full of warmth, sounding low and protective.

But Blake was silent for a long drawn out second, still staring back at Tara, before finally shaking her head.

"No, I'll be fine…" she muttered, taking a long and shaky inwards breath….

..before striding forwards parting the crowds, her chin lowered darkly…..

…making her way over to Tara's place, alone….

…. her gun still gripped tightly within her hand, as thunder rumbled overhead...

Sorry, if this seems like I'm dragging it out. You guys are super eager! And I'm pretty busy, so I can't write as much as I'd like at the moment. And I really want to put as much detail and emotion into each chapter as I can. But hopefully I'll get the next one up soon.

Thanks to chelseajowhite, strawberryfruitsnaxs, angelstuffing, Yellow, Brookeworm3, Guest, CLTex, comet92, alliesmiley2, AllieRoexxx, Hmc09, masquerade04, DreamersChance, Kara315, angelvoice15, JasminJW, MisfitCarter, faithackles, Guest, SassyPrincess14, Kayadae and Guest.

And to the person who said they would buy this in printed form- I actually love you. Thank you!

Please review if you can. I'd really appreciate your support and if you're all still enjoying this fic after 110 chapters! Have a lovely weekend!