"Mornin', Peaches," came Negan's growling words, as Blake dropped the blade in her hand with a clatter.
There she was. After all this fucking time.
Like a damn goddess to him.
Negan noticed almost instantly she looked better now. That vacant expression almost diminished, and there was a warmth in her cheeks and a glow to her that hadn't been there of a late.
But as they stood there, face to face, the dark-haired Saviour felt his goddamn nerves getting the better of him.
His heart was hammering away inside his ribs. His mouth dry.
Shit. What if she turned them away?
What if she was angry at him for turning up like this on her damn doorstep unannounced?
But Negan didn't even get the chance to say another word, as, freezing there for a long moment, Blake suddenly launched herself forwards, her arms sliding around Mia and pulling the teeny toddler from his arms, her lips pressing kisses to her the tiny girls' pudgy cheeks.
Mia squirmed in Blake's arms, giving a giggle.
"Mommy shtop tha!" she shrieked in delight, but Blake did not relent, tears streaming down her pretty face.
"Oh Mommy's missed you, so, so much," Blake murmured into Mia's skin as he held her close.
Negan took this chance to look at her now, the woman he fucking loved with all his heart, who he fucking hoped still loved him back.
For now, she wasn't looking at him, her focus solely on Mia.
Worry flooded through his veins. Shit. She did want to fucking see him, didn't she?
For even during their radio call, she had only asked about Mia, not about him.
But as though reading his mind, Blake's watery green orbs suddenly met with his.
And in her look, all manner of unspoken, much-needed words seemed to pass between the pair, Negan's nerves settling slightly.
Blake pulled herself from Mia, holding the tiny girl on her hip, her eyes never leaving Negan's.
"You should both come inside before you catch your death out out here," she murmured in a quiet voice, slowly turning and leaving the door behind her open for Negan to follow.
And the dark haired Saviour merely hovered there for a few long moments, his eyes following her as she padded off, before he took a large step in through the doorway behind her, shutting the door after him with a gentle snap.
Blake placed a wriggling Mia down onto the floor.
"Be careful of the fireplace, baby," she warned in a gentle voice as she stood up straight watching as Mia waddled over to the mattress on the floor in the corner of the room testing it with her tiny sock-covered foot.
She truly was the most precious thing. And Blake had missed her with every fibre of her being.
But Mia wasn't the only person who she had missed.
But the blonde felt her heart begin to pound as she stood now, her eyes unable to meet with Negan's, noticing him stroll into the room after them, out of the corner of her eye.
As much as Blake was glad they were here this was all a little sudden now…...a little unexpected…
What if he was angry at her? Here to yell at her for abandoning him?
Or ready to guilt trip her into returning to the Sanctuary for Mia's sake?
But Blake needed to remember that Negan wasn't David. He wasn't here to manipulate her.
He loved her and Blake loved him in return, so very much.
But Blake still felt that overwhelming anxiety and that panic rising to the surface inside her again.
She depeterely willed herself to stay calm for their sakes, her hands trembling at her sides now as more tears pricked at her eyes.
But there was no way she could keep her emotions bottled up. Not now.
And so, tucking a strand of long hair behind her ear and turning her face away, Blake hurried into the kitchen.
"Um, do you both want something to drink?" she asked, not even waiting for either of them to answer before disappearing away.
But Blake had barely made it to the kitchen counter, seemingly out of sight of the pair, before she had collapsed forward, palms flat the surface before her, holding herself up as she winced against the tears that threatened to overwhelm her.
Seeing them again like his in the flesh, well, she had dreamed of running into Negan's arms, having a wonderfully happy reunion.
But Blake knew now that it was too soon.
All of it was too soon.
She couldn't go back yet, she just couldn't. She wasn't ready to face it yet.
The blonde let out a heaving, shuddering breath, squeezing her eyes shut, knowing that she needed to put on a brave face.
To smile for their sakes and pretend that everything was ok. Just as he had done with David for all those many months of torture.
But Blake should have known better than tho presume that Negan was presume, yet again, that he was just another David. To presume that he didn't know what was going on with her...
For as Blake heard his heavy footsteps behind her, she barely had time to swipe at her face hurriedly with her sleeve, before she felt a gentle hand on her upper arm.
His touch send a warmth straight away flooding through the entirety of her body.
"Peaches…" he murmured out in that low voice of his, sounding closer now than she expected him to be.
And knowing that she couldn't hide this emotion from him any longer, Blake turned, shamefaced, to face him, shaking her head.
There he was. The man who had changed her life. Made her into a queen.
But right now she was far from that.
Now she was a mere speck of her former self, all that self-doubt and worry clouding every part of her that made her strong and courageous.
Negan was staring down her now, with a sadness in his eyes, and a frown stitched between his dark brows.
"I'm so sorry…" Blake mustered up the courage to say, her eyes flickering away from his, down to the floor. "...f-for everything. For leaving like I did…."
She shook her head again as tears slid down her cheeks, knowing that he probably detested her after what she had done. After she had lost his baby, then walked out and left him to cope alone.
But Blake, all of sudden. to her surprise. felt Negan's hand reach her cheek, as he lifted her face and her gaze to meet with his once more.
"Darlin', look at me," he said now with a frown, but his eyes were wide and honest-looking. "You don' need to fuckin' apologise for anything. I acted like like a damn asshole, an' I didn' understand what kinda shit you were goin' through. If I had-"
But Negan trailed off, dropping his eyes to the space between them looking forlorn.
"None of this is on you, Peaches," he began again after a moment or two of silence had passed, his eyes raising and meeting with hers once more "What you've fuckin' been through...I jus' needed to come her an' see you. I needed to tell you, that just because you're here, I ain't stopped lovin' you, not for a damn second, Sweetheart. An' even if I have to come back here to visit you every fuckin' day, you've gotta know that I won't ever stop feelin' that way 'bout you. Not ever."
Blake stared up at Negan now, never believing that she would hear those words spill from his mouth ever again. And yet here he was, confessing to her just how he felt.
And she cursed herself now for misjudging him as she had. For Negan had always been there for her and even now, when she had done everything that would push away a much weaker man, he was still here, standing before her, showing his love for her.
And with that, Blake felt her lip tremble again as her green water-filled eyes searched his face.
And suddenly, feeling her anxiousness ebbing almost immediately away with his words, Blake pressed herself forwards, standing on her tiptoes…
...and without even a word, had brought her lips to his, kissing him hard.
Negan was still at first, as though her move had taken him by surprise, but Blake knew what she wanted now and that was to feel his warm lips against hers, to have him hold her close, to feel him beside her.
But slowly and surely she felt his lips begin to move, his hand moving to hold her by her waist.
This kiss wasn't full of the hunger and the passion the two of them usually shared, although it was something just as welcome.
Their kiss was slow, well-needed, and full of the best kind of love, still burning brightly between them, even amidst the dreary, dark day.
And Blake kept her eyes closed for the entirety, and even long after they had broken apart, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth and savouring the taste of him.
He was home to her, through and through. And Blake felt her heart swell tenfold now. Feeling truly happy for the first time in what felt like weeks.
She smiled, her cheeks flushing pink as she felt his thumb reach her face, brushing away any stray tears that still lingered there.
Blake gently opened her eyes to see Negan grinning back at her, a look of what only could be described as relief passing over his long, dark features.
He looked for moment like he was about to open his mouth to say something else but the pair of them stared quickly around as Mia came bumbling into the room.
"Noh Daddy. Noh mor kisshin' Mommy naw. Mommy onwy kissh mei!" said the tiny toddler bossily, moving in between the pair and attempting to push Negan's legs away from Blake.
The dark-haired Saviour staggered backwards chuckling, as Blake parted her lips in shock and utter love for the tiny girl, her eyes travelling between her and Negan.
"Did she just-" the blonde began, marvelling at Mia as she bent down, hauling her up into her arms, as the toddler made grabby hands for her.
But Negan merely grinned, running a hand over his bearded mouth.
"Yup. Looks like Daddy's the new favorite in town," he teased, causing Blake to smirk back at him.
But Mia shot Negan a withering look over her tiny shoulder. "Noh...noh, Eggy...Mommy mai favowite," corrected the tiny girl sternly, turning back to Blake and grabbing a handful of her blonde hair, bringing it to her mouth and sucking on it affectionately.
Blake laughed, pursing her lips, her eyes meeting with Negan's, watching as he rolled his eyes, leaning back on his long legs and folding his arms over his leather-clad chest defensively.
"Oho, that's how you're gonna fuckin' play it, Beansprout?" he said in a simpering voice. "Cause hell, it looks like someone's anglin' for the damn naughty step."
But Mia merely crumpled her face into a foul little scowl, poking her tongue out in his direction. But to their surprise the baby girl turned back to Blake hurriedly batting her big round eyes and looking all of a sudden completely shy and innocent. "Noh, I bin gud, havven' I, Mommy? I bin gud."
And Blake, feeling so completely bowled over by everything about the teeny girl she had missed so much, merely nodded. "Of course you have, baby, " she pouted.
And with that Blake gnawed on the side of Mia's mousy head playfully, as Mia let out another squeal of delight, giggling wildy, obviously enamoured with the tall blonde.
God, Blake's heart could barely cope now, realising just how very much she had missed Mia amidst the fog that had clouded her mind of late..
How much she had missed the both of them in fact.
Blake's green eyes darted up to Negan now, who was staring down at her, head cocked to the side grinning at the pair of them.
And without another word, Blake merely let out a small laugh, as before she could say another word, Negan had reached fowads cupping the blonde's jaw with his large hand and pressed his lips to hers again, seemingly unable to keep his mouth off her.
And Blake, if she was being honest, could barely control what she was feeling either.
For despite it only being afew long days that they had spend apart, it felt now like an eternity to her, mentally and emotionally, at least.
She felt him smiling into her mouth as their lips met again and again, making deliciously audible wet noises against each others mouths.
But still clutched in Blake's arms, Mia gave a wail at this sudden contact between the two adults.
"Noh, Daddy, noh!" crid the girl, pressing her tiny paw to Negan's stubbly cheek. "Bwakey mayn!"
But Blake felt Negan give a small, teasing chuckle into her mouth, not relenting even a little bit, much to Mia's dismay.
"Noh noh, Eggy, don'!" she cried again. And Blake managed to prise her lips from his, just as she saw Mia's little fist collide squarely with Negan's shoulder.
"Shit, kid," Negan marvelled, cocking an eyebrow in her direction. "One day I'm the damn favourite parent and the next minute you're knockin' seven fuckin' bells outta me!"
Blake laughed, jiggling Mia on her hip.
"Ignore him, Sweetie," said Blake pressing her mouth to Mia's hair and keeping her eyes on Negan the entire time. "Daddy's just jealous."
And with that she smiled goadingly, brushing past the tall, dark-haired man and heading back into the large living room.
Behind her she heard Negan swivel on his heel, his eyes very obviously following her, before he sighed playfully and moved after them, back into the large white room.
Blake perched herself onto the edge of the flowery couch, as Mia gave a wriggle, hopping from her lap and moving over to where she had abandoned the large crumpled piece of paper she had come in wit,h over on the mattress on the floor.
"Mommy, I mayd this fow you," she said excitedly bending down on her chubby legs to pick up the paper, before running back over to the blond woman, who took it graciously from her.
"And what's this?" Blake said with a bright smile, forgetting all the pain and the hurt she had been feeling this past week, her heart fluttering with warmth and light, here with her two favorite people in the entire world.
"Beansprout wanted to make you somethin'," said Negan leaning up against the doorframe behind them.
Blake shot him a smiling look, before staring down at the paper, seeing that Mia had drawn four figures in brightly coloured crayon.
The little girl hovered at Blake's side, pointing to each of the stick figures in turn.
"Tha you, an' tha Eggy," she said happily. "Tha mei…"
Blake gave a smile pointing to the final figure, smaller than the rest standing between the trio.
"And who's this?" Blake asked in a bemused voice, chancing a glance up at Negan playfully. She highly doubted the Saviour would have been so complimentary of Mia's so-called piece of art.
"An tha..an tha mai baybee bruvver or sista," siad Mia eagerly. "Won day I wan won."
And with those words, it was as though all the light had fallen out of Blake's world, taking her back to that dark abyss.
She gave a hard gulp, hearing Negan behind them take a step forwards, his eyes obviously on the drawing.
He was silent for a long moment, before-
"Peaches, I had no fuckin' idea, I-"
But Blake shook her head frowning hard down at the page before her.
"I-Its ok…" she said in a quiet voice.
And it was then, for the first time since it had happened, that she had miscarried, that Blake truly knew that it was ok.
She couldn't go on feeling like this forever, wallowing in her own pain and anxiety.
Maybe she would never get that chance for a child of her own. But Mia was here, her baby girl, and and that was far more than Blake could ever want for now.
The blonde woman let another harsh gulp slide down her throat, before she turned to Mia, smiling sadly, and, reaching forward she brushing back the little girl's mousy hair from her face.
"It's beautful, baby, I love it," she said earnestly, causing Mia to smile widely, giving a giggle.
And with that Blake chanced a glance up at Negan who was at staring back at her with a concerned frown etched over his brow.
But Blake merely offered him a warm, encouraging look, trying to wordlessly convey to him now that everything was going to be ok.
That they would get through this, and things would get better.
For there was a light there now that hadn't been there before.
And Negan understanding, strolled on over to the pair of them, before sinking down onto the couch with a stiff groan, onto Blake's other side, throwing his arm around the back of the sofa behind her shoulders and pressing a lingering kiss into her blonde hair.
A family reunited.
Where they belonged.
I really do hope this chapter was ok. I'm definitely struggling right now with a bit of pain and finding it slightly distracting to write, but I hope I still did my favourite couple justice.
Apart from that, thanks so much to sreid045, stacey40, Shin Maxwell, Guest, CaptainWilliamsN7, ElysiumPhoenix, Green, LJH, Elizabeth, mari2009, CLTex, calh, Guest and BlueBloodsSVUOrder for reviewing.
Please leave a comment if you get the chance. It would make my day. :)