The morning flitted by fairly quickly with Mia keeping Negan busy with question after question, and whine after whine after whine.

And eventually, after hearing the kid complain for the third time in ten minutes that she was hungry and realising he really wasn't going to get much fucking done this morning with her in tow, he had given a huff of irritation before hauling her up and taking her into the busy dining hall.

But it wasn't until he had reached the spacious room, full of Sanctuary residents enjoying a well-earned (and well paid for) lunch, did he finally realise just how long he had spent outside.

And just how long Blake had been gone for...

Surely a trip to the docs couldn't take that fucking long, could it?

She had probably been gone at least a couple of hours by now….and Negan would have presumed she'd have at least come to find them.

Unless…

Well, she hadn't looked that fucking great this morning. And if it WAS something more serious...

Negan felt his blood run cold at the prospect.

And so, sucking at his teeth, he hauled Mia, who was currently sat eating some goldfish crackers and a couple of sticky strawberries, back up into his arms.

The little girl gave an instant whine of annoyance at this disturbance.

"Noh Eggy, I is eatin'!" she wailed, but Negan, with a grunt, scooped up the remaining box of crackers, hastily shoving them in her tiny hands.

"Come on Beansprout," he said in a gruff voice. "I ain't fuckin' arguin' with you."

He heard Mia give the tiniest of grumbles, before pouting and dipping her hand into the box of goldfish one more….glaring at him woefully.

But Negan wasn't too fussed about how much the toddler despised him right now. All he cared about was that she as safe and well, along with Blake.

It took him only a couple of minutes on long legs to reach Carson's door on the far side of the dark factory building.

It was quiet here, with most of the Saviours at lunch. And the only sound Negan could hear in this drafty hallway, was the near-constant munch-munch-munch of Mia devouring crackers in his ear.

Negan lifted Lucille a little awkwardly, bashing her against the door in front of them a couple of times, before glancing over at the toddler in his arms, who seemed to be shoving goldfish into her mouth at quite a rate, causing her to splutter and cough.

Shit, he couldn't cope with the kid choking right now.

But a split second later she seemed fine, although Negan wasn't really in the mood to be taking risks right now, as he snatched the crackers away from her.

"I think you've had more than fuckin' enough," he said prising the box from her grasp, like a bottle of whisky from a drunk.

But unsurprisingly, Mia who was tired and cranky, looking like she thoroughly needed a post- lunchtime nap, gave a sudden sniff, her tiny face crumpling and turning red.

And before Negan could do a thing to stop her, she had thrown her head back and began to cry.

The dark-haired Saviour winced at the sound.

Fuck, looking after a kid really was fucking hard work!

So it was no wonder Blake had been so tired this week. Negan hoping that that was all it was, as the door before them was suddenly pulled open.

Negan for a moment, half-hoping it would have been Blake, pursed his lips into a firm line, seeing that it was only Carson standing there in a green shirt with a stethoscope flung around his neck.

The strawberry-blonde doctor always seemed to look a little harassed, which was no surprise really, due to the circumstances he had been brought here.

But nevertheless, the need for a doctor was great in this world, but that did not mean that Carson was not highly compensated for his work.

Negan had given him one of the nicer rooms. The doctor unlike most other workers here, was not on the points system, and in turn could take anything he wanted from the marketplace. Be it medical supplies or whatever else he so wished for.

But the doctor, with one hand on the door, let out a long breath of air, the smallest of irritated frowns lingering between his brows as he eyed Negan.

But he didn't speak, obviously waiting to be addressed by the Saviour himself.

"So…" Negan said, in between Mia's lengthy wails. "She here?"

The dark-haired Saviour almost instantly gazed into the empty room behind Carson, but to Negan's annoyance, he looked alone, the bed and chair at the far end of the medical room empty.

He of course knew who Negan was referring to. For who else would he be enquiring about these days?

For the dark haired Saviour know that no one here could deny their relationship now...it being obvious since the first day Blake had had returned from Alexandria. Things obviously having changed between them. And these days there was no time or room to hide these feelings.

But Carson was silent for what felt like the longest of moment, Negan certain he saw something flicker across the doctor's pale eyes, before he finally answered.

"No," the doctor eventually uttered in a quiet voice, his gaze flickering first to Negan, then to a crying Mia. "She left a couple of hours ago."

Negan's brow darkened suddenly.

But he wavered for a long moment, trying to hold in his rage and frustration at the man standing before him.

If Mia hadnt have been here with him right now, there was no doubt in Negan's mind that he would've have shoved Carson against a wall and threatened him with Lucille by now.

But with the crying toddler, clutching onto his jacket sleeve, her tears sloshing all across the tarnished black leather, he knew he wasn't gonna risk upsetting the kid any fucking further.

And so, he let out a long puff of air, composing himself and his words very carefully.

"An' she's alright?" he enquired in a low rumbling voice. "Peaches? 'Cause she didnt seem to fuckin' great this mornin', Doc?"

Negan uttered the last word with a large amount of contempt in his voice.

It wasn't as though he didn't trust the doctor's opinion…. But when it came to Blake, Negan knew he wasn't up for taking risks.

But Carson seemed to blink for a moment, lifting his free hand up and running it through his already messed-up hair.

"I think it's best that you talk to her," he said slowly, dipping his chin, but still staring up at Negan, looking rather solemn.

But this look alone, caused Negan's entire body to turn icy cold.

"An' what the fuck does that mean?" Negan growled in a wolf-like manner, tightening his grip on Lucille suddenly. "You wanna tell me what the fuck is goin' on here, Doc?"

He wasn't particularly in the mood to be fucked around here.

But Carson, stood his ground, despite Negan's obvious anger, as Mia continued to sob.

"Like I said, you need to talk to her," the doctor murmured. "It's best it comes from her."

And with that, Carson backed off a little, pushing the door shut once again, in Negan's face.

This was probably the first and only time anyone had done that to Negan in at least the last couple of years.

And if it had been any other circumstance, Negan would have kicked down the said-door, barged in there, and made sure Cason never disrespected him like that again.

But Carson's words rung as clear and as loud in Negan's ear as Mia's crying did right at this very second.

What the hell was going on?

Why was it so fucking important Blake talk to him. Why did it need to be Blake who told him what was wrong.

A million things flitted through Negan's mind, at that very moment.

Perhaps it was stress…

PMS…

The flu...

Or perhaps being here was doing this to her?

Perhaps he would find her in her room packing a bag saying she needed to leave….

To go back to Alexandria. To be somewhere better, cleaner, safer, away from him….

Or maybe Negan was just overreacting.

But all he could do now was talk to her. Ask her what was wrong, instead of speculating and driving himself crazy in the process.

Negan let out a huff, turning his attention back to the toddler in his arms. The noise of her cries working away at him like a tick.

"You wanna fuckin' quit it already, kid?" he snapped loudly.

And for a second, Mia gave a suddenly whimper, blinking a couple of times at Negan's outburst.

But in the blink of an eye, and before Negan could say another word, she gave another squealing wail, looking traumatised, causing Negan to frown deeply, hitching the kid further up onto his bony hip.

Fuck, he was shit at this. With too many concerns and thoughts swirling around in his mind. He utterly felt for Blake having had to deal with whatever was wrong with her,combined with taking care of Mia full-time.

And right at that second, Negan's heart suddenly fell to the pit of his stomach, as he remembered another woman in his life at her wits end, unable to cope with a career, and Negan's endless cheating, while the blackness and disease had grown inside her….

He remembered back to that day…getting a call to say that Lucille had collapsed at a set of traffic lights one day and had been rushed into hospital, the doctors initially saying it was exhaustion.

But it was only after a couple of tests had been done, had they found out what it really was. Negan breaking down there and the at the news.

So to think that this with Blake might be history repeating itself again, chilled him to his very core, making him feel more truly frightened than he had been in years.

Negan suddenly let out a sigh, taking a couple of steps down the long corridor before stopping.

"Hey look, beansprout," Negan murmured, as Mia suddenly faltered a second and stared at him with big round eyes that were awash with tears. "I'm fuckin' sorry ok. I'm goddamn useless at this kinda shit. But you'd be doin' me a big, BIG fuckin' favour if you stopped crying and helped me find Peaches. What you think about that, huh? You gonna help ol' Papa Negan out? Hmm?"

Mia sniffled for a second, peering up at him, before giving a tiny nod, her wails diminishing as quickly as they had come.

And Negan offered her a glad smile for her troubles.

"I appreciate it, kid," he said lightly, before he continued on his path down the long dank hallway, and up towards the staircase that led upstairs to the other floors.

He decided to check Blake's 'old' room first, that being the nearest place he would think to check this side of the Sanctuary.

But when they arrived there, there was no sign of her.

And so, the logical next place Negan would presume she would go, was his room, up on the third floor. Their room now.

For that was what they had agreed on yesterday before any silly fucking arguments had come about.

Jeez, Negan was ready to share fucking everything with her. Every little thing he had worked so hard to get in this terrible fucking world….he would give it all to her in a heartbeat, no questions asked.

But shoving open the door to his room, Negan gazed about to find it completely empty. He even marched into the large bathroom, just in case she had been in there, but that too, was absent of anyone.

Negan let out yet another huff of frustration, suddenly marching over to his low coffee table nestled between his two leather sofas, and snatching up a black walkie talkie and holding it to his mouth.

"Anyone is this godforsaken fuckin' hellhole seen Peaches around in last half-hour?" he promptly sighed into the radio, as Mia reaching out with her tiny paws made a playful grab for the walkie At this, Negan giving a frowning huff , holding it tiredly at arms reach away from her.

There was a buzz of static before Simon's voice came clear and loud over the line.

"Not down in the marketplace, boss."

A second later Eugene's voice could be heard, as low and drawling as it was always was.

"Gardens are clear, over."

Negan clenched his jaw, just as a third and final voice was heard. This time Arat's.

"No sign of her anywhere out in the lots."

Negan gave a gulp. Although this place was pretty big, there were really very few hiding places around the dark and looming factory. Especially during the day time.

So how the fuck could Peaches go missing just like that?

Negan lifted the walkie to his mouth once more, as Mia attempted to paw at it again, before giggling and resting her head against leather clad shoulder, obviously having cheered up since her meltdown ten minutes ago.

"Arat," Negan said loudly, addressing his loyal lieutenant. "You seen anyone come an' go in the last fuckin' hour?"

He doubted Balke would leave, but there was always a chance that he had been right and that she had left him….and this place….

There was a lengthy pause before Arat's voice was heard once more.

"Uh, no. No one's gone in and out at all since first light."

Negan stopped still, digging his cheek with his tongue, and feeling a wave of fear wash over him as he slowly dropped the radio back down onto the table once more.

Was that the answer he had been hoping for? Of course it was.

That told him she was likely still here. But arms bells suddenly started ringing.

If she was still here, then where was she? And why did she obviously not want to be found?

"Wher' Bwakey?" came Mia's voice suddenly as her tiny fingers curled around his leather collar, sounding a little concerned, likely from the look that had that now plastered its across Negan's own scruffy features.

But he sucked at his teeth now at her words.

What the fuck was he supposed to say to that?

That he didn't have a fucking clue where she was?

And that as far as he was concerned, she could have collapsed down some dingy dark hallway at the far end of the Sanctuary….

And so he wavered for a brief second, his brown eyes flickering over the baby girl's round face, before answering….

"Well," he said gruffly. "Right now, your guess is as good as mine, kid."

And so, lifting his free hand and running it down his bearded chin, he let out a long huff, as he headed out of the room once again...

His long and tanned face, a hardened picture of concern...

I'm so sorry. That felt like an appalling filler chapter. My laptop is on its last legs and I'm only able to write snippets at a time when I can get a chance on my work pc. So sorry if its all a bit patchy and all over the place. I guess we all have our off chapters every now and again. But hopefully the next one will be better. Will Negan find Blake? And what does she have to tell him?

Thanks to ElysiumPhoenix, Guest, Jam86, chelseajowhite, masquerade04, Tdwnegan, CLTex, MJ, Moonwolf27, Nicole, kagomesdance, LJH, michelleandjoe1234, angelvoice15, JasminJW, Green, alliesmiley2 and Guest for commenting on the last chapter.

I've just signed up to this new thing called ko-fi. So if you like my work and enjoy this fic, you can send me a 'coffee' to say thanks. The website is called 'ko-fi' and my username is 'KittyKatZorse'. But a review on this chapter would do me just as well right now. Thanks for reading, ya'll.

Please review if you get the chance! :)