Firstly I just want to say a huge, huge thank you to you all for being so kind and thoughtful on my author's note in the last 'chapter'. I'm so grateful to have such wonderful readers like yourselves supporting this fic through thick and thin. You genuinely made me feel happy and made me cry quite a few times (happy tears I promise!) with your lovely words. I am so lucky to have such amazing people in my life. And I want to give you all, from the bottom of my heart, the biggest hug ever. I wanted to give up, and I felt just utterly hopeless last week, but all of your words and encouragement have made me get back to my laptop and start write again. So thank you. I've read all of your comments again and again, over and over.

And to 'THAT' Guest who commented again, I genuinely do accept your apology. Thank you, earnestly. By all means, you don't have to leave this site, but please do consider that an author often has bigger things going on behind the fics that you don't always see. Thank you.

Aside from that, words cannot describe how much I utterly adore every single one of you amazing readers. And today I've sat down, given myself a shake and finished up this chapter I had on half. So I hope it's ok. Please enjoy…

Everyone had been excited to see Mia back at the Sanctuary.

Everywhere Negan seemed to fucking turn that day, there they were, the dining hall, down at the marketplace, the goddamn hallways, workers and lieutenants alike, cooing at the kid and talking to Blake like she was their everything.

It was fucking obvious to him now that Peaches was revered in this place. Not in the way he was. When his men and women spoke to him, it was with fear and respect in their voices.

But to Peaches….they showed utter love and devotion. Even workers he had never even seen before, came crawling out of the woodwork the moment they caught sight of her, coming to say hello.

Negan had kept his distance at first, observing the way these people laughed and joked with her, touching her arm warmly as she chatted back to them completely lighting up every room she was in.

And the kid didn't do too badly either, acting as shy as she had been when she had first arrived at this fucking place to begin with, before realising that these people, unlike those dead pricks outside, were not here to do her any harm.

Negan had even caught the baby girl standing up on the benches in the dining hall at lunchtime, pointing at food she liked on peoples trays so fucking charmingly in-fact, that the poor-fuckin' sons of bitches were pushovers enough that they would quickly laugh and offer Mia whatever she wanted.

Negan admired that in her immensely, as he had left the room wordlessly, chuckling to himself as he had ran a hand over his bearded chin, swinging Lucille up onto his leather-clad shoulder as he went.

But as great as Blake and the kid being popular was, Negan had found himself getting kinda ansty and bored by mid-afternoon at the lack of attention he himself was getting from his favourite girl.

Usually he would have found Blake at least once today, placed her in a compromising position or two, the two of them barely able to keep their hands off of each other for long, and screwed her brains out already.

But with the kid now a permanent feature here in their lives, this enjoyable task was proving a little harder than Negan first had realised.

Even speaking to Blake today had proved to be tough enough, just about getting the chance to exchange a few teasing words with the blonde woman, before Mia had complained that she needed to go to the bathroom for the hundredth time.

And, waving his hands of all responsibility in that area, Negan had sloped off in a huff, as Blake and Mia had skipped away to do what ladies normally fuckin' did in bathrooms.

HIS fuckin' bathroom again no doubt!

And so it was late afternoon by the time the unusually cheerful and buzzing atmosphere of the Sanctuary had died down to a mere simmer, and Negan, pacing the long quiet hallways in search of the two women, had finally heard their voices, floating low and quiet down the echoing corridors of the drafty factory building.

Negan gave a wide grin to himself as he approached the door ahead of him now, swinging Lucille from his hand a little and bowing his head as he listened.

"And do you know what animal that is?" came the voice of Blake gently, in a tone contrasting the teasing one she usually reserved for speaking to him with.

There was small pause before the voice of Mia was heard.

"Tha..tha…I know tha is…" she said excitedly, sounding like she was wriggling about a little. "Tha donk! Tha donk!"

Negan heard Blake let out a small laugh.

"Yeah that's right, that's a donke-"

But Blake wasn't able to get through her entire sentence before Mia cut across her loudly.

"What tha won? I laik tha won!" she said as Negan took a couple of silent steps forward and peered around the doorway, his chocolate eyes finally settling on the pair of them.

The two ladies were sat in the library, both huddled together on the dusty floor with a large book propped open on Blake's lap, as Mia leaned over her, pointing with chubby little digits at whatever was in the large white book.

"That's a penguin," said Blake quietly, neither of the pair noticing Negan's presence in the doorway yet, as Mia fawned over the image in the book splayed out in front of her. "They like to live where it's very, very cold."

Mia gave a delighted squeal at this, peering at the page with great interest.

"Ca' we go see pengwen?" she asked placing her pudgy little hand to Blake's shoulder before clambering onto her lap.

But it was at this, that he saw Blake's eyes wash with a sort of sadness, that broke his heart to see.

Negan of course knew that it would be likely that Mia would never get to see a penguin in her lifetime.

Not only was travel near to impossible these days but the zoos were all but ruined, and the likelihood that there were even any penguins left on this continent was near unmanageable.

"Perhaps…someday…" Blake murmured in a quiet voice, as Mia gave a sudden yawn, rubbing at her tired eyes with her little fists.

It had obviously been a long day for her….for both of them in fact, judging by the way Blake's eyes blinked slowly as she let out a small puff of air.

But it was then that Negan, leaning in, causeda floorboard to creak beneath his boots, drawing both of the women's eyes to look his way, finally noticing his presence.

Blake offered him a warm smile, that made him feel like he truly belonged here, warm and happy with her right beside him.

"Hey stranger," she purred out gently, wrinkling her nose as Mia scrambled to her bandy little legs, running towards him suddenly on small sock-covered feet.

"It Eggy!" she said in a slurred little voice, making grabby hands at him with her sticky hands. "Eggy, we gon' shee pengwen!"

Negan readjusting his grip on Lucille and rolling his eyes a little, obliged the toddler almost immediately, bending down and lifting her up into his arms with a stiff groan.

"That so?" the dark-haired man commented. "You plannin' on takin' a trip on those goddamn tiny legs of yours, beansprout? You bustin' outta this place? Huh?"

And with that, Negan made a grab for her tiny sock-covered foot, making the teeny girl squeal with delight.

"Noh Eggy, don' do tha!" she giggled, pawing at his leather-clad chest, her chubby fingers grasping hold of his zipper.

But Negan didn't relent, chuckling as he pressed his face close to hers, grazing his stubbly chin across her pudgy cheek.

"Noh Eggy tha tickuls!" she cried out, wriggling from his grasp and prising herself from him once more. until Negan was forced to set her down, watching as the laughing baby girl ran back toward Blake, who had gotten to her feet, large picture book tucked under her arm.

But the caramel-blonde woman looked a little strained now, giving a frown as she placed a hand to her head, wincing slightly and closing her eyes for the briefest of moments.

"You alright, Peaches?" Negan asked her almost instantly, standing up straight and staring over at the woman he loved, a dark and concerned look passing over his long features.

But she blinked a couple of times, offering him a flash of a smile.

"Yeah…I'm fine…just feeling a bit light headed is all…" she muttered.

Negan's gaze lingered on her for a long moment, hearing the lie in her voice, but he played it cool, clenching his jaw tightly, but carrying on as though nothing had happened.

"Well perhaps you're runnin' on empty, Darlin'," he growled, as Mia clutched Blake's hand with her tiny paw, before peering up at the dark-haired man. "It's a good fuckin' job I've arranged for some dinner to be brought up to my room then isn't it?"

At his words, Blake's stared up into his face, smiling at him warmly.

Fuck, it was good to be back with her here again….knowing that yesterday he could have lost her for good.

He was enamoured by her, this hurricane, who had appeared in his life, changing it for the better.

He was different man around her. Softer, more sympathetic….to them at least!

And Negan couldn't help but grin goofily as she and Mia slid past him hand in hand, heading out the door.

"Hmmm, it's about time we got room service, isn't it Mia?" the blonde woman uttered in a sarcastic tone, her eyes sparkling gleefully as she teased him. "You gonna serve it up on a silver platter too?"

But Negan gave a chuckle as he ran his tongue over his lips, eyeing her with awe.

And before Blake could let out another smart-mouthed comment, Negan's hand had clamped around Blake's jean-clad ass, giving it a hard and needy squeeze.

The blonde woman instantly stopped in her tracks abruptly, giving a sudden squeak and causing Mia to stare up at the pair in fright, as Negan leaned his lips in towards Blake's ear.

"Now baby, you have gotta stop with that damn attitude of yours…." he growled in a wolf-like manner, giving another low and throaty chuckle. "Because you're gonna make Daddy wanna eat something' else completely, Peaches…"

But he almost immediately caught Blake narrow her green eyes toward him, as she slowly looked his way.

She had obviously not been expecting this possessive act from him. But the dark-haired Saviour should have known better than to presume Blake would just let something like that, slide that easily.

"Well maybe, if Daddy delivers like he promised on dinner…" she purred in a delicious voice, taking this opportunity to press her cheek to his stubbly one, her lips finding his ear now, causing Negan's mouth to curve up into a wide grin. "Then maybe he can get what he wants for dessert."

But what Negan didn't notice was Blake's hand snake around his waist.

And it wasn't until Negan feet the short sharp slap of the large, hard-bound picture book colliding with his ass, did he raise both his dark eyebrows to the heavens in utter surprise, gazing at Blake as she smirked, pulling away from him.

"But I guess we'll have to see…." she murmured airily, strutting away and heading out into the hallway ahead of Negan, as Mia still clutching onto her hand tightly, peering up at Blake with great interest, wondering what she was missing.

And Negan was, for the first time in a long, long time, rendered utterly speechless….

….shaking his head in wonderment, and letting his chin drop to his collarbone as he let out a small laugh….

…before swinging Lucille back up onto his shoulder once more, and following his two favourite girls out of the door, and back up towards his room.

More in love with the blonde woman now, than he had ever been before.

Sorry that was just a short fluffy one. I kinda wanted to ease the three of them back into Sanctuary life. I hope you don't mind a bit of slow fluff for a little while at least.

Thank you again for all your support. I love you all dearly- thanks to Nicole, ShadowQueen3304, guest, JasminJW, ClTex, angelstuffing, LJH, Jam86, MyTreasures4ever, MisfitCarter, Guest, cardemon, HarmonyQuinn, masquerade04, Guest, Monizzle, Magikat409, AllieRoexxx, a fan, ElysiumPhoenix, Guest, faithackles, Panda Blitz, Kathiena, MissIndependent101, MisfitCarter, jessicaorr1884,Brookeworm3, regientjedv, Bethangel13, kaylee00, guest, NeganWinchester, jazica, Moonwolf27, SophieM, dominantdemonbutler22, art0210, hope, NihilSol, SassyPrincess14, Guest, Guest, shiela, Guest, LyzzEQ, saltanburn, AwkT, J, Guest, Dollfacex94, suzq515 and Negansgirl for commenting on both the authors note and the chapter before that.

I hope this chap was ok?

Please leave a review if you get the chance to, and maybe I'll update again before Christmas. :) Thanks for reading.