It was late now, the sky outside darkened.

But around the Sanctuary the usual spotlights illuminated the shadowy lots surrounding the large compound, casting a light on everything inside them.

And tonight, this included Rick Grimes.

Negan sucked on his teeth as he stood in the doorway that led out into the lot beside Simon, who had his thumbs hooked through his belt loops, surveying the situation.

"Want us to bring him inside, Boss? Lock him up?" asked the mustachioed man.

But Negan just continued to stare at Rick, who just stood there, alone and obviously angry, beside a dusty maroon sedan.

Numerous Saviours of all shapes and sizes surrounded him, guns all trained in his direction, despite the fact that he had nothing more on him that a large hunting knife at his belt.

"NEGAN!" he bellowed loudly, his eyes searching the space before him as well as they could against the spotlights that blinded him.

Negan had to admit, he had a lot of respect for him coming here, seemingly alone. And why? To get his goddamn son back?

But Negan know for a fact that if this was the other way around, and if Blake or Beansprout were in danger, that he would do exactly the same thing. Come to an enemy camp unarmed, because that was what he needed to do. Because they were the most important thing to him in this entire goddamn world.

The dark haired man gave a sigh, his mind quickly flitting over both Blake and Carl's words.

Perhaps he and Rick weren't that different after all.

And maybe...just maybe things COULD change.

"No," said Negan dragging hand down his bearded chin, finally answering the man at his side. "Let's go have a little talk to ol' Ricky-boy. See what's he got to say."

Negan re-adjusted his grip on the baseball bat in his hand.

"Oh an' go fetch his damn firstborn an' that other gal," Negan added, earning himself a frowning look from Simon.

"But, Boss-" the man at his side said in incredulous voice.

But Negan merely shot Simon down with a scowl.

"You really wanna argue with me, Simon?" asked Negan sucking hard at his teeth. "'Cause I can easily swap you out for one of those biters on that damn fence over there, if that's what you want?"

Simon offered Negan a look of pure loathing for a short moment, before this swiftly faded with a gulp. "No," he replied in a quiet voice, before turning on his heel and heading back inside without another word.

Negan's eyes followed his insubordinate right-hand man for a moment, before his gaze finally drifted back out toward the lot, and back to the person that had drawn the attention of most of his best men and women.

Shit. Just by this asshole fucking being here, Negan could feel his own reigns on this place slipping away.

Simon had always been a backstabbing piece of shit. But all it would fucking take would be one of these assholes to presume that Negan's hold on this place was slipping, and that would be it.

And sure Negan could handle it, put whatever asshole stepped out of line back in his place with the iron or similar. But something like that was the start of a very very fucking slippery slope.

The dark haired leader lifted a gloved hand, dragging it down his tired and lined face.

He knew what he fucing had to do.

And so, clenching his jaw and tightening his grip on the baseball bat in his hand, Negan took a step out into the lot, his boots scuffing the dusty ground as he went.

"Well, well well," he purred, puffing out his chest and putting on a goddamn show. Just how these motherfuckers expected him to. "Look what the cat dragged in."

He saw Rick shield his eyes from the light before spotting Negan, who stepped through his men, and onto the floodlit asphalt.

From here Negan could see the sweat clinging to Rick's brow and the look of pure hatred etched onto his features.

"Where is he?" Rick snarled.

But Negan merely smiled that arrogant smile of his and leaned back against his long legs, tutting.

"Well if it isn't Ol' Papa Grimes, come to pick up his kids from their first slumber party," Negan uttered in a simpering voice, doing his best to rile up Rick. "I would say I've been a good influence, but that would be a fuckin' lie. So I did what any normal babysitter would do an' let them stay up waaay too late watchin' horror movies, got them hopped up on too much sugar-"

But Negan hadn't even finished his sentence before Rick snapped across him.

"I said, where is he?" he yelled hoarsely, glaring at the Saviour.

Shit. Negan knew the guy had fuckin' balls, but hadn't quite realised until this very moment just how goddamn big they were.

Negan leaned back against his legs again and eyed Rick, swivelling on his booted heel to face him.

"That really how this is gonna be, Rick?" taunted Negan, narrowing his dark eyes. "You come all the way here an' you don' even want the goddamn tour?"

But again, it was obvious that Rick was not in the mood to be messed with.

"Where is Carl?" he hissed, taking a sudden step toward Negan, as the clicks of guns sounded all around him. "I swear to god, Negan, if you've hurt him in any way-"

But Negan gave a dark frown at this, his eyes flashing dangerously.

The air around them all seemed to go terrible still..

"Well shit, you really think that fuckin' little of me, Rick? You think that I'd mess with your family?" Negan's lips curled. "Even despite the damn fact that one of your asshole people were willin' to hurt mine…."

If looks could kill then Rick would have been dead on the ground, for Negan looked livid at this very moment.

But the dark-haired Saviour gave a hard swallow, softening a little, his mind settling on Blake and Mia.

Shit. He was doing this for them. Even if it was taking all he had to swallow his damn pride to do so.

"So, what? You trekked your ass all the way here to pick up your firstborn, despite the fact that he chose to come here. I mean, fuck, Rick. Carl ain't a kid no more and I sure as hell imagine that he won't appreciate you comin' here to drag his ass back home."

But Rick narrowed his eyes at this, letting out what Negan could only describe as a smirk, shuffling back and forth from foot-to-foot.

"Call it a father's prerogative," said Rick in a low drawl, eyeing Negan. "Not that you'd understand that."

Negan breathed hard.

Was that supposed to be some kind of dig at what had happened? Some sly insult about Negan and Blake losing their unborn child?

But Negan barely had a moment to comprehend this when their came a loud clanging of the door just over his shoulder and he turned to see both Carl and Tara, being dragged by Simon and Laura, out into the darkened lot.

"CARL," Rick exclaimed suddenly at the sight, his voice hoarse and urgent sounding, taking a step forward, but stopping suddenly as guns were pressed towards him all around.

Both Carl and the woman blinked for a moment, adjusting their eyes to the spotlights above their heads, before frowning hard, as though unable to believe that Rick was really standing here in front of them.

"D-Dad?!" mumbled Carl, letting a gulp trail down his pale throat. "Dad...w-what are you doing here?

Carl sounded almost exasperated at the sight of his father here, and as Negan had predicted, sounding almost embarrassed that he had come here, to what? Reign in his independence, yet again?

Shit, even Negan could see how intelligent the kid was. How goddamn strong.

All the kid had wanted was to make this hellscape of a world into something better for the people he loved. Just like Negan had always strived to do for his own people here at the Sanctuary.

"I've come to take you both home...with me…" said Rick firmly, clenching both his fists at his sides. "You shouldn't have come here Carl. And Tara you should have known better, what the hell were you thinkin'?"

But Carl instantly shook his head, tugging himself irritably from Simon's grasp and taking a single step towards his father.

"I just came here to talk, Dad," he said with a resigned sadness to his voice. "You...and Negan-"

He looked to the dark-haired man, who clenched his jaw.

"-I just wanted you both to see that all this fighting...people getting killed...that there's another way…."

"Carl-"

Rick began with a warning look.

But this time it was Tara's turn to cut across the Alexandrian leader.

"For fuck's sake, Rick," Tara said starkly, throwing her arms up either side of her head in exasperation. "Can't you just listen for once. We're trying to stop this war-"

"Stay out of this, Tara!" snapped Rick. "Carl, come on. We're leavin'."

But at this, Negan sucked on his teeth, arching back against his knees.

"Hold your damn horses there, Rick," he muttered, uttering the leaders name with contempt in his voice, his chin lowered. "Who says I'm gonna let you jus' walk outta here."

Another hash silence clung to the air at Negan's word.

But eventually he spoke again, giving a sniff.

"If the kid wants us to talk so badly," Negan said carefully, not wanting to sound like this was a surrender or a weakness of any sort. "Maybe we should talk…"

Negan felt all eyes on him suddenly, a thing he was used to, but after years of not listening to pleas' or any sort of willingness to hear anyone out, he could see that his men were surprised by this. None of them said anything, of course, but it was all in the looks they were giving him, shock...worry….anger in some cases…

But Negan gave another sniff and avoided everyone's eyes, keeping his own fixed on Rick, who at once shook his head.

"I'm not talking to you," he spat with revulsion in his voice, once again shuffling his weight between his feet like a pacing hound. "Me, Carl an' Tara. We're gonna walk outta here. Go back home-"

Rick was really fucking trying Negan's patience here, but Negan sucked in a steadying breath through his nose.

This was all for Blake.

He was doing this for her.

For his damn family.

He would be the bigger man here.

"You really gonna fuckin' argue with me?" Negan said loudly, pacing forwards on his long legs, until he was just a foot or two away from Rick. "'Cause from where I'm standin', Rick. You don' really have a choice!"

It was true. The Alexandrian leader was mightily outnumbered and the stupid fuck couldn't see that if he just bent his knee and agreed to go with Negan he would be better off for it.

But Rick just stood his ground, squinting directly into Negan's face, sweat beading at his brow.

"Dad, please, just listen to someone else for once. This doesn't have to end in fighting or you or anyone else getting killed for your pride," said Carl, stepping away from Tara and Simon and into the circle of armed men that surrounded his father and Negan.

"I'd listen to your fuckin' kid if I were you, Rick," Negan murmured warningly. "It seems like he's talkin' a lot more sense than his old-man in this goddamn instance."

Negan saw Rick immediately shoot Carl a look of anger.

"Carl, I know you're jus' tryin' to help, but you don't know what you're talking about," Rick yelled, ignoring Negan's words.

But this only caused Negan's frown to deepen.

"Hell, I'd fuckin' say he's a lot more clued up on shit than you are, Rick," uttered Negan a little defensively, a growl forming in his throat. "Maybe, jus' maybe, you should start respectin' your kid a bit more. Quit treatin' him like he don' know shit. 'Cause Carl over there, knows a hell of a lot more about this goddamn world than your sorry fuckin' narrow mind could understand. If he were my kid...well, I'd least give him the chance to fucking speak once in a while. Hear him the fuck out!"

There was long a pause before Rick's eyes slowly travelled back to Negan's, a look of utter sneering hatred plastering themselves onto his features.

"Well he's not your kid, he's mine," Rick snarled, baring his teeth at Negan now. "An' you know what?"

There was another long pause where Negan could only stare down at the man before him.

"People like you…" Rick continued, letting the despicable words hiss from his mouth. "People like you don't deserve a family….they don't deserve kids….'cause you're all poison."

Negan glared at Rick feeling his heart thudding in his chest, the sound growing ever louder in his ears, deafening him.

All sound bar that seemed to disappear now, all the people around them too slipping into nothingness.

For now there was only Negan, and Rick, and the Alexandrians words, repeating over and over in Negan's head.

Negan wanted to shout, yell, tear Rick's fucking face off, but for some reason he stood there, seething, rooted to the ground, the only thing moving being the twitch in his cheek and his fingers tightening around the handle of Lucille.

But instead of Negan being the first one to speak, breaking through the utter silence of the moment, there instead came another voice from just behind Negan's shoulder.

"People like us?" came the voice, oh-so familiar sounding, and at that moment, full of utter sadness and hurt.

Negan looked around to see Blake, dressed in black jeans and an oversized blue sweater, long blonde hair down across her shoulders, the damp ends fluttering slightly in the cool night's air.

The crowd of Saviours parted slightly as she stepped through them, tearful eyes fixed on Rick in pained disbelief at his words.

Negan should have known she would come out here.

He knew that as much as he wanted to protect her, she had a will of her own.

She was survivor, just like all of these people, and when she was determined to do something, there was no stopping her.

No one said a word, tension clinging to the air like a heavy blanket. Everyone seemingly holding their breaths.

For everyone here, bar maybe Rick, knew about what had happened to her, what had happened to both of them.

Blake losing her baby, well that had hit their entire community hard. Everyone had mourned. Everyone had felt the loss...

Negan stared at her now, watching as she approached them both, green water-filled eyes still fixed to the Alexandrian leader.

And even Negan almost had hope that for a moment, the Rick the Prick would take back his words, apologise...prove to them both that things could be better again.

But Negan should have known better…

"You heard me," Rick uttered poisonously. "People like you don' deserve a family. You don' deserve to bring kids into this world...an you never will."

Suddenly, before anyone could utter even another syllable, there was a flash of metal…

And there Blake was, tears streaked down her cheeks...and the barrel of her gun pressed to Rick's forehead.

"Say it again," she sobbed out. "S-Say it again."

Negan noticed her trembling finger tensing around the trigger as she waited for Rick's reply.

And right now, Negan had her back all the way. She could do what she liked with this asshole.

They were done with trying to reason with a prick like this. Done with trying to make him see the fucking light.

"Please, Blake," came Carl's sudden voice from behind them. "Dont do this."

And for a long moment if looked as though Blake was going to ignore him. Like she was going to pull that trigger and end everything…

But after a moment or two she wrinkled her nose and tore the gun away sobbing hard and wiping her face on the sleeve of her sweater.

"I'm done," she said after a second or two, standing up straight again and giving an over exaggerated shrug, raising her arms aloft, looking at Carl and Tara now. "I'm done helping you. You heard him. You heard what he's said...w-what he said to us. He's never going to change!"

She turned and looked to Negan now.

"And you know what?" she said her voice far lower now, giving a nod as he eyes met with his. "Neither are we."

And Negan could see, just by the look in her eyes, that she truly was done with all this. Done with trying to forge a better world with these people.

"You were right," she said to Negan, moving toward him now and giving her head a shake, causing tears to spill from her cheeks and land of the asphalt below. "Its them and us, and that's never gonna change. We've gotta look out for ourselves. No one else."

And Negan wasn't about to argue with that. For this was all he had wanted.

To make sure Blake and Mia were safe and loved. And if that meant assholes like Rick and his people, were kept in their place, then so be it.

Negan gave a firm nod, conveying to her that he understood completely.

"Please, Blake. T-This can't be it," came Tara's begging voice from across the lot. "This can't be over?!"

And Negan, understanding that there had obviously been a bond between Blake and the dark haired woman, was surprised when Blake turned back towards her, a cold look etched across her tear-strewn face.

"Well it is," Blake uttered in an icy voice, that drifted across the lot with the breeze.

And with that, Negan felt Blake reach out and entwine her free hand with his, securely, warmly…

There was no denying now, that he was hers and she was his. She was his queen and nothing in this world was ever gonna fucking change that.

Blake's eyes drifted to Rick now, glaring at him with anger in her gaze.

"You called us poison?" she said in a steady voice, bringing herself up to her full height and staring Rick directly in the face. "Look at you, Rick. It's YOU that's poison. YOU that can't just be happy with your place in the world. YOU that can't see that other people have struggled. That other people have lost things. No. You stand there high and fuckin mighty on your pedestal looking down on everyone else. Not able to even see that your way isn't the only way. But I'm done trying to fight for you, trying to stop this war. Because if anyone deserves to lose..to be put in their place…."

Blake took a step forward until she and the brown-haired man were nose to nose.

"...it's you, Rick."

Blake held herself there for a moment before pulling back with distaste.

"Just go," she said looking again to Carl and Tara with a sniff. "I don't ever want to see any of you again if I can help it," she shook her head. "There is no perfect world. I think we all know that by now. But let it be known that WE were the ones who tried."

And with that Blake turned back to Negan.

He caught her lip tremble for a moment before she tilted her head to the side.

"Can we go back inside now?" she asked in a soft voice. "Please."

And Negan in that moment understood that she wanted just what he did. To be at home, at the Sanctuary, where they could live and prosper, even if that meant that they constantly needed to strive to be on top. Needed to fight for it. To be the Saviours. The winners.

Because she was right.

There was only them and us now.

Negan gave a nod, giving her hand that was clutched within his, a small squeeze, and licking at his lips.

"Course we can, Darlin'," Negan hummed, as he lifted his dark eyes across the lot to his lieutenants.

"Laura," he said loudly. "Escort these assholes outta here. Ditch em' by the side of the road for all I care. Jus' get them the fuck outta my sight."

Laura nodded as Negan turned to Rick, leaning into him intimidatingly, and lifting Lucille to the underside of the man's chin.

"Know that the only reason I'm lettin' you go is for her. Oh an' Rick, when it comes to takin' my share from you and your damn people, next time I come to you….I'm gonna take every single thing you have," Negan growled in a hard tone, causing Rick to flinch slightly as Negan snatched away his wire covered-bat, stood up staright and turned on his booted heel.

But he should have known that Rick was stupid enough to try and get in the last word...

"You were never one of us, Blake," Rick spat, spittle flying from his mouth as he snarled out the words. "I should never have taken you in. Never trusted you. Because you're one of them, always have been. An' in the end….you're gonna die like one of them too…"

There was a pause, brief and silent, before...

THWACK

But the sound was no Lucille this time.

Instead it was the sound of a clenched fist colliding squarely with a jaw.

Negan was livid.

Furious.

And in at that moment he saw red quicker than he had ever seen red in his life.

He punched Rick, flooring him instantly, taking him by surprise, but just kept on punching, kneeling over him taking swing after swing at his face.

"DON'T YOU EVER. FUCKIN'. THREATEN. HER!" he bellowed, bearded face twisted into a furious expression.

Suddenly Carl and Tara were there, trying as best they could to stop him, but Negan pushed Tara aside with a shove of his arm sending her sprawling to the ground beside them.

Carl however, was much quicker, pushing Negan back and placing himself in between him and his bloodied father.

"PLEASE!" He cied holding up his hands in defeat, staring at Negan, his breathing as ragged as the dark-haired Saviour's.

And Negan, despite how much he wanted to get back to beating the holy hell out of Rick, did in fact stop, seeing not Carl in front of him now, but his own unborn child, grown up, a teenager, pleading with him.

Negan gave a hard swallow and after a long moment or two, got to his feet, shaking slightly and staring down at his bloody knuckles.

Lucille lay abandoned at their side, but he made no attempt to pick her up now, instead all he wanted to focus on was her…

Blake.

She looked at him worriedly, tears in her beautiful green eyes again, trying as hard as she could to stop her lip quivering. But she was strong. And she took control now, nodding to Laura, who had stopped half way across the lot when Negan had attacked, and gestured for her to stick to Negan's original plan...for her to get Rick and Carl and Tara out of here.

Negan stared at her as she returned her gaze to him.

As long as he had her, he didn't need anything else. And he was damned if he was ever EVER gonna let Rick get his way.

Negan was gonna make sure she survived all this. Mia too. And he would do whatever he had to, to make sure of that.

"Come on," he murmured, taking her hand firmly in his bloodied one.

And with that, without another word, Negan led her inside, not looking back…even once...

...hoping to god, for their fucking sakes, that he didn't lay eyes on the Alexandrians again for a long, long time.

Thanks to Izzy Neko, CLTex, Elle Falnders, Megshinkley, werdan, calh, Guest and Guest for reviewing.

Sorry for the hiatus. Lost my motivation. Hopefully it sticks with me now.

Review if you'd like more!