Blake paled as Simon lowered the radio from his lips, his eyes fixed on Tara.

There was a malice and a glee there that Blake had never seen in the mustachioed man before, a sight that caused a shiver ton run down the length of her spine.

"Simon, she's not-" began the blonde shaking her head.

But Simon spoke over her abruptly.

"No, Blake, I know exactly what she is…" he hissed out, reaching forward and snatching the gun from Tara's limp grasp. "...she's a disease. Like the rest of them in that damn community…..infecting everyone with their arrogance and their violence."

Blake frowned, making at once to argue with him, to tell him that Tara wasn't like that, but with his gun closing in on Tara's skull, he raised a single finger cutting her off.

Instead he took a looming step towards Blake's friend.

"We should have wiped you out when we had the chance," he snarled, his lip curling, as he leaned his face into Tara's. "I told Negan that at the time, but he wouldn't listen. But I know what assholes like you are capable of."

He was so close to Tara now that Blake' could see flecks of spittle from his mouth land on her cheek.

Blake's heart thudded. What was wrong with her? Why was she just standing here doing nothing right now why wasn't she shouting, yelling, helping her old friend?

Sucking in a shaky breath, Blake stepped forwards hurriedly, trying to move in between Simon and the dark-haired woman.

"Simon, listen to me, she's wasn't the one who-"

But Simon, suddenly gave Blake a hard shove aside, glaring at her.

"Blakey, as much as we all adore you," he said in a tired and almost simpering voice. "I'm gonna ask you to stay out of this."

Blake gaped in shock twisting her head to look at Simon, watching as he lurched forward and grabbed Tara by her forearm, pulling her in the direction of the door, the barrel of his gun still fixed to her temples.

Blake made to shout at him, angry at his dismissive tone with her, but all of a sudden in the midst of the commotion of raised voices, a loud wail came from behind her.

And he blonde woman, glancing around quickly, saw Mia sat up, her face red and crumpled in the darkness of the room, bawling her eyes out.

Simon, taking his chance, tugged Tara towards the door as Blake made to follow, but another loud scream from the toddler behind her caused her to stop dead in her tracks.

"Simon, wait, please-" Blake pleaded, her wide green eyes meeting with Tara's which were fixed and tired looking as though she already understood what he fate would now be at the hands of Simon and Negan.

"Blake, would you just shut your mouth for one fucking second!" Simon suddenly yelled through gritted teeth, his chest rising and falling hard as he stared daggers her way. "O deal with your fucking kid, and let the damn men deal with this for fucking once will you."

Blake blinked suddenly, taken aback.

It was so unlike Simon to talk to her like this, memories of David and the way he used to speak to her, flashing up in the forefront of her mind suddenly causing her to flinch back a little like a scolded dog.

Behind her Mia screamed out again, as Simon offered her one last fixed grimace.

But he didn't say another word, suddenly hauling open the door and pulling Tara with him out into the hallway beyond.

Blake's heart thudded away in her chest.

Shit.

Shit shit shit.

What the hell was she going to do? All of this was a mistake.

She made suddenly to chase after them…willing to drag Tara back to herwith her bare hands if that was what it took.

But another cry from the tiny girl lying in bed behind her made her stop suddenly.

She couldn't leave Mia crying like this.

The little girl sounded utterly distraught, hard sobs coming from her throat.

"Mommy wot goin' own?" blubbed out Mia, sounding completely terrified at the commotion going on around her.

And so, torn between following after Simon and Tara and tending to Mia, Blake gave a small huff of frustration before turning back to the crying Mia and picking her up and giving her a cuddle.

"It's ok baby, its ok," she whispered soothingly, her eyes darting back towards the door.

Fuck.

Tara coming here like this...it had all been a mistake. This wasn't her world….it was Blake's and Negan's. And her coming here like this, out of the blue, had turned everything on its head.

A mix of emotions swirled inside Blake as she rocked a still wailing Mia.

What the hell was she going to do now?

But biting down onto her lip, the blonde pressed a kiss to Mia's temples muttereing gentle words into her soft skin, before she made up her mind, leaving the small bedroom too.

It was dark out here and the fluorescent light in the hallway, the only thing illuminating the small space, flickered ominously above their heads, causing Blake to give a small gulp.

It was quiet here and there seemed to be no sign of Tara and Simon at all.

Mia gave a small snotty sounding snuffle into Blake's neck, as the caramel-blonde woman rubbed her back gently. "It'll be alright, Sweetie…" she reassured her.

But would it?

Despite how awry things had become between her and Tara of late this was not the end she wanted for her. She knew how hot-headed Negan could be, and acting on impulse and misinformation may mean the end to the woman Blake called her friend.

For even after everything that had happened that was what Tara still was, right? A friend?

And in amongst all the chaos and the destruction of this world Blake knew that they all needed more of those.

Tara had risked everything to come here...to see if Blake was ok. Because of guilt? Maybe yes. But maybe because of something deeper. A bond that they had shared in laughter and friendship, in the quiet of the night when they had sat on Blake's couch toasting their losses with nasty, foul tasting wine what seems like an age ago, but what was in reality only a few months.

Was it Tara's fault that David had beaten her? Was it her fault that Blake had come to the Sanctuary? That she had fallen in love with Negan? No. Of course not.

Things may have changed now...people may have died...but that did not mean their friendship was gone.

Blake lifted her chin, shoving open the double doors ahead of her and coming out at the top of the large metal staircase.

"Mommy, I-I tired," sobbed Mia into Blake's hair, clutching a few strands between her pudgy fingers and holding them to her face. "I wan to gow schleep!"

Blake gave a worried look.

It was the middle of the night and Mia needed her bed but Blake couldn't turn back now, she needed to get to Tara before it was too late.

"J-Just give me a second ok, baby, then I'll take you back to bed," she said gently, but Mia gave a whine, her face crumpling once more.

"Noh I wan bed naw!" she wailed.

Blake blinked a little, holding Mia tighter to her, the noise of her cries filling the stairwell.

"Blake?" came a sudden voice from somewhere below. "That you?"

The blonde woman leaned over the railing to see Arat staring up at her, gun in hand, dark curls of hair sticking to her sweat-laden forehead.

"B, its not safe for you to be out here, there's biters everywhere-" she said suddenly, looking up at the pair of them sounding worried.

But Blake quickly hurried down the winding staircase with Mia in her arms, stopping when she reached the second floor landing and Arat.

"Did you see where Simon went? O-Or Negan, have you seen Negan?" Blake uttered out in desperation.

Arat's brown eyes searched Blake's face in confusion.

"N-No...I haven't…" she said slowly with a small frown. "Why? What's wrong?"

Blake licked at her lips trying to shush the crying toddler in her arms.

"I don't have time," the blonde woman said here eys fitting this way and that as she thought. Suddenly she shook her head and letting a hard gulp slide down her throat. "Listen, Arat, I'm gonna need you to do me a favour..."

And with that, before the dark-haired woman could protest, Blake had pressed Mia into her arms.

"Take Mia back upstairs and stay with her, make sure she's safe," she said in a frantic tone, brushing back strands of long hair from her face and taking a step back, as Arat gaped, mouthing at the air like a fish.

"But, wait, Blake, where are you going?" Arat said, jostling with holding onto Mia and the gun in her hand at the same time.

But Blake merely turned on her heel and fled down the staircase on bare feet, safe in the knowledge that Arat would of course do all she could to keep Mia safe.

But now there were bigger concerns on Blake's mind as she ignored Arat's yells from behind her….the sound of the commotion that was coming from the lower levels being one of them as she raced down the staircase taking the steps two at a time….

...Blake came out onto the ground floor shoving open the doors that led to the outer hallways to see them filled with smoke and gunfire coming in quick succession, as well as the yells of Saviours rushing to and fro.

She squinted down the corridor, trying to see if she could spot anyone she knew amongst the mass of figures there, but she was knocked from behind by someone as they barged past, gun in hand running full-pelt towards the large doors that led to the outside.

Blake staggered sideways, stil only dressed in a shirt and underwear, holding her arm up to shield her face from the gunsmoke that filled the hallway.

From nearby Blake could hear the rasping snarls of walkers, and praying they had not yet made in inside, she turned on her heel fleeing back in the direction she had come, but this time heading down the east corridor towards the lower meeting rooms and out where the garden sat at the rear of the Sanctuary.

It was a little quieter here, with several leautiants racing by, guns in hand towards the source of the noise.

But Blake knew she had to get to Tara and Simon before the mustachioed man found Negan.

For then, Blake knew, that if Negan thought he was punishing the person responsible for shooting her, there would be no stopping him.

But just as Blake made it around the corner, padding across the floor hurriedly on shoeless feet, a door just to right, that led to the outside lot, clanged open, and in streamed not one, but two walkers, staggering inside reaching out with grotesque rotten arms, snapping their visible teeth in hunger.

Blake gave a scream of fright before she could stop herself, stumbling backwards in an attempt to get away from them…

... but in an instant, she had lost her footing, falling to the floor and landing on her ass with a bump.

But that noise and the movement alone was enough to cause both walkers to turn their attention immediately on her, their leering grey eyes sliding towards her.

Fuck.

Blake gave a whimper, crawling backwards on her hands as quickly as she could, but it was not quick enough, for the two rotters advanced on her, lurching forward, their decomposing stench filling her nostrils as they got nearer and nearer...

And all Blake could do in that moment was raise her hands in front of her face as her heart stopped, utter fear taking over.

For this was the end now…

….and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Sorry for the delay in posting, I've had major writers block for this fic this week, but I've posted another Negan/Blake AU to my page if anyone is interested.

Thanks to sried045, MissIndependent101, ElysiumPhoenix, kaylee00, Warriorwitch13, Rumbellle96, Kara315, LJH, CLTex, Dary's Lady, BlueBloodsSVUOrder, torey43, Green, EJM87, Magalie, Elizabeth, Guest, Guest, Guest, cindisink, Guest and Guest.

So, after hearing how many of you don't have a tumblr account (mine is 'Negan and Blake' if anyone does though), I'm going to keep posting to . I don't want any of you to miss out if you're enjoying it on here, sorry, I just didn't realise. :)

BUT, I do have to stop and say that to the person who left a comment feeling the need to tell me they HATED me for 'killing Blake's baby', and that was why so many people have stopped reading, telling me they can barely keep reading themselves... I'd rather you did actually stop reading. I write this fic because I like to write and wanted to present Blake as a real woman with real flaws and losses like so many women in real life. And just because this fic isn't going the way you wanted, does not mean you have the right to tell me you hate me, because that is not cool. I adore my readers and always try and go out of my way to spread the love amongst Negan fans (come visit my tumblr page and you'll see that!) and promote positivity and friendship. But I'm sad to see such negativity and hatred towards me as an author, because that's all I am, an author. I haven't promoted a political stance for abortion, or pro-life, all I have done is present a woman losing her baby, something completely and utterly tragic that happens to women all over the world every day. I didn't write it to mock anyone and wasn't just doing it to be cruel and spiteful towards the characters of Negan and Blake, I just wanted to write a fic that was honest and true and depicted real emotions and trauma.

I'm sorry if that upset you, but all you need to do is click that little x at the top of the page. I won't be hurt if you decide to stop reading, it's your choice, but leaving comments like that is kinda shitty and pointless, don't you think?

Phew, that's it, finally done, sorry to rant (AGAIN!). Becoming a habit isn't it?

Anyway enough from me, I hope you all have a truly wonderful weekend, guys! xoxo