Blake stared at the pair in shock, blinking her green eyes several times.
She had never in a million years thought that anyone would find here here, let alone Tara and also Carl of all people.
"W-W-What are you doing here…" she asked, the words spilling out of her mouth with a murmur of disbelief.
But Tara just rubbed at her arm looking a little sheepish now, as she chanced a glance at Carl at her side, who looked far more composed.
And it was the teenager who spoke, his voice far more gravelly than Blake remembered.
"We need to talk…" he said, his expression somewhat fixed. "Can we come in?"
But Blake, letting a gulp slide down her throat, hovered for a moment.
"H-How find you even find me?" she said, sounding perhaps a little bitter now.
For this had been hideaway. Her sanctuary. And for them to just walk in here like this…
"We saw Negan's truck...at the side of the road," explained Carl calmly. "We came up here, to talk to him and saw you stood on the doorstep together. We came to talk to him, but thought it might have best to discuss all this with you first."
Blake could have rolled her eyes at this.
So they had both been too cowardly to confront Negan while he had been here, and instead had waited until he was gone, to come and see Blake? Was that it?
Seriously?
Why were they so obsessed with interfering in lives that no longer concerned them?
Blake was not going back to Alexandria.
She had already told Tara this, so why could she not see that that wasn't what Blake wanted?
"So you were heading to the Sanctuary?" she asked with a frown.
But Carl merely nodded. "We..uh..we still are actually…"
Blake, let her mouth fall agape, looking first to Carl and then to Tara, feeling an anger and a hard sense betrayal bubbling up inside her as she stared at her friend.
After all she had done to try and get Tara away from the Sanctuary after her last foolish venture there, was this really what her friend was choosing to do?!
After everything Blake had risked for her?
There really was no stopping these people was there. And as much as she loved Tara, this really was the last straw.
Blake was in the midst of trying to get better, and this intrusion was he last thing she needed.
And so, giving a hard frown, balling her first at her sides, the blonde woman spoke.
"Well if it's Negan you want to see?" she said licking at her lips. "He's gone. Go chase after him if that's what you want. But I'm not interested in your petty games. Just leave me alone."
And with that, giving the pair one last look, Blake turned, placing her hand on the door and making to pull it closed behind her.
"Blake, please!" said Carl in a sudden loud, pleading voice, causing the caramel-blond woman to stop in her tracks, still turned away from both of them, her fingers trembling as he dropped her hand from the door. "Its you we want to talk to...please…" he said in a firm voice. "We really think you can help us….please."
But Blake turned back to Carl and Tara now, angry tears pricking at her eyes.
"Why?" she snapped, shaking her head. "So your Dad can try and kill Negan...hurt my people-"
But Carl took a sudden step forwards.
"No," he said quickly cutting Blake off before she could continue. "Blake don't you see….I don't want any of that to happen...that's why I'm here...thats why were both here…"
Blake frowned at the two for a long moment, silence falling over the group of them stood on the porch. Before eventually she gave a hard gulp, un-tensing her fists.
"You've got five minutes," she murmured, before turning on her heel and heading back inside the house once more, leaving the door open behind her for the pair to follow.
Blake moved into the kitchen, walking around the large kitchen island and turning back towards Tara and Carl as they entered the room, their eyes gazing around the small home with interest.
"I thought you lived at the Sanctuary?" asked the young teenage boy suddenly, gazing at Blake.
But the blonde woman just scratched at the back of her head irritably.
"I did...I do...I just..I needed some time away from there to clear my head…." she admitted her eyes drifting down to the counter as she reached out with her finger, tracing through the dust that lingered there absentmindedly. And almost at once Tara reached out, placing her hand on top of Blake's.
The blonde woman immediately stared up at her in shock. But reacting instinctively she quickly snatched her hand away, staring up into the her friend's worried face, knowing now that Tara most likely knew the reason for her coming here.
She knew why she had shut herself away from everything.
But Blake resented that. Resented her pity.
But furthering Blake's utter distaste, Carl gave an understanding nod now, shifting his weight from foot to foot, his eyes fixed to her green ones now.
"Listen...Blake...I know what happened to you…" the boy muttered.
At his words Blake couldn't help but part her lips and wrinkle her nose, a look of bitterness passing over her features.
Did he seriously know about her miscarriage? Was it all just common gossip now around Alexandria? Was that it?
But Carl answered her question before she even had a chance to ask it.
"...I know that you got shot…and I-I know that you just want the same as us right now…."
He gestured between himself and Tara.
"...I know you don't want that happening to anyone else...anyone you care about."
Blake knew that of course was true. She had had a relatively lucky escape but next time, the longer this war went on for, it could be Negan in the firing line, or even Mia next. And Blake would rather die herself than ever see that happen.
"Look, both Negan and my Dad are more similar than they think they are," Carl continued. "My Dad is out there everyday gathering guns and supplies to try and end all this. To win. And I'm guessing that as content as Negan is right now, one wrong move from my Dad and we're gonna have the full wrath of him and his army barrelling down on top of us. And you know as well as I do, Blake, people are gonna die if that happens. Me, my Dad, Michonne, Judith…"
Blake felt a hard lump appear in her throat at the mention of Carl's little sister.
She was around the same age as Mia, and Blake knew how she would feel if either of them got hurt, or even killed in the firing line, just to win some pointless war.
"...I just don't want to see that happen, I want this to be over, I want them both to just see that there is another way, that we can work together to make this world a better place for us...for you...for Judith and for others... and I know you want that too, Blake," finished Carl his eyes meeting with the blond woman's, who found her own welling with tears.
Of course Blake wanted that too.
But what did Carl want? A truce? Peace?
Because Blake knew that Negan was never going to allow that to happen. Not because he didn't want it. But because right now he already had all that, he had everything he could want, he was king of his empire, and bowing down to Rick and becoming equals with him at this stage was a pointless venture for him.
"I do…" the tall blonde woman murmured in reply. "But you know what Negan's like...he's not just going to give up everything we have, just to play fair with your Dad!"
Blake shook her head folding her arms over her chest and turned away, closing her eyes for a short moment and sucking in a steadying breath.
She waited for Carl to try and argue, but instead it was Tara who spoke first.
"He might…...if you help us," the dark-haired woman said suddenly, causing Blake to turn back around, tilting her head to the side and staring back at her friend hopelessly.
Could Blake really do that? Try and convince Negan to call a truce….to end all this death and destruction?
Her eyes met with Tara's now properly, for the first time since she had arrived here, gazing at her old friend imploringly, her lips pressed together to keep them from trembling now.
And with a heavy heart she asked the question that had been weighing heavily on her mind since the last time she had seen her friend at the Sanctuary fences.
"You said you knew who it was that shot me….you said they were bound to try again…." said Blake her voice wavering now, trying to be as strong as she could in the emotion of the memory, as a lone tear slipped down her cheek. "...if I do this...if I help you...will that stop anyone else from getting hurt?"
Blake needed to know…
Perhaps it had been Rick that had released that bullet, or Michonne.
And maybe this gesture was now just Carl, fearful for his friend's and family's lives, because he knew what they had done?
But at the end of the day, would Blake not have done the same for Negan? Would she not go, cloak and dagger and try and plead with the Alexandrians to end everything?
To stop this feud that was sure to only end in loss and pain.
For Blake knew now, that if this continued, death would be imminent. For all of them.
And although Blake could take getting herself hurt within the crossfire. She would never be able to forgive herself if she stood here and did nothing, while the ones around her, that she loved so dearly, died as a consequence of her being a coward and not doing the right thing when it was asked of her...
For who would be next?
Negan?
Mia?
Blake saw tears slide down Tara's cheeks now as she stared back at her.
And the dark-haired woman was silent for a very long moment before she finally answered, her voice breaking as she spoke.
"Yes…" uttered Tara with a shake of her head. "Yes…"
And with that, she moved around the kitchen island, coming to stand in front of Blake and grasping both of her hands in hers, her thumbs grazing over the blonde's knuckles in turn.
"No matter what...the people who did that to you….if I have to put a stop to them myself, then I will...I'm not risking you again, Blake," she said her face etched with an honest sadness now, which caused Blake's lip to quiver. "I just want all this to be over…"
She gestured to Carl.
"...that's all we want," she finished, just as Carl took a step towards both of them.
"And that's why I need to go talk to Negan...to make him see that there is another way…" the young boy said in a determined voice.
Blake looked at him through tear-strewn eyes.
Even in the short time she had been gone from Alexandria for, it seemed like Carl had grown into a strong young man, brave and honest….perhaps just how Rick had been once upon a time
But she let out a small difficult sigh now.
She knew what Carl and Tara's fate would be if they both turned up there, at the Sanctuary, alone.
For Blake knew exactly what Negan was capable of. How he would punish them, especially Tara, for returning and making a mockery for everything he stood for.
And it was then that she realised just why this pair had decided to talk to her…why they had wanted to win her around...to make her see…
For they surely there was no way they could do this without her.
And so, with a heavy heart, knowing that she would be doing all this, not for herself, but for their future...for all their futures...especially Mia and Judith's…
...Blake gave a hard gulp, wiping the tears from her eyes and pulling back from Tara and staring at the pair of them.
"Well then I guess I'm coming with you…" the caramel-blonde woman said, knowing that if she did this...if she went back there…there would be no returning to this quiet restful place.
But Blake lifted her chin now, knowing full well that this was likely the only way…
And regardless of the outcome….
...no matter what the price...
...Blake was returning to the Sanctuary.
Dun dun DUNNNN! Guess who's going home?
Thanks to LJH, Clh, BlueBloodsSVUOrder, Elizabeth, CLTex, Runaway Fantasy Princess and Guestfor reviewing! And thanks to CrazyThinking for the wonderful poetry. Please send me a DM on here or come find me over at 'NeganandBlake' at Tumblr to chat!
Please review! :)