I think I liked you better when you didn't have a knife in your hand, Peaches

Mia

The journey back the Sanctuary took no time at all, in the warm, hazy, late afternoon sun.

But by the time the truck had made it back through the high fences leading into the looming, abandoned factory, the tiny girl in Blake's lap had fallen soundly asleep in her arms.

Blake had sat there, resting her chin ontop of her teeny head, rubbing gentle circles on her back, soothing her the entire journey home.

Negan beside her, had been silent for the entire trip back too. Which Blake wasn't particularly worried about...as his hand, that had been positioned over the back of her seat haphazardly, had long-since drifted down over her shoulders instead.

She liked him. There was no doubt about that anymore. But his actions worried her....as the obviously did the rest of the Saviours too. It was his anger, his outbursts, his need for violence and his unpredictability that made them all uneasy. Always unsure about what he was going to do next. And with Lucille barely ever leaving his hand, that, sometimes was a frightening prospect as well...

The truck pulled up close to the building, and Arat turned off the engine, giving a brief sigh, eyeing Blake as she did so. But she too, didn't say a word.

It was then and only then, did the tiny toddler in Blake arms begin to stir.

"Hey, sweetie," whispered Blake in a kindly voice, as the little girl smacked at her lips quietly and rubbed her eyes, looking up at the caramel-blonde woman holding her. "You ok?"

The tiny girl gave a pout, but nodded, grasping at Blake's shirt once again with sticky little fingers and snuggling back into her as she caught sight of Negan, sitting beside them.

But Negan tutted.

"Looks like I'm as fuckin' popular with her, as I was with you, Doll-face," he said in a mock-voice of irritation, shoving open the door beside him, before grasping up Lucille and hopping out.

At this Blake smirked, eyeing him.

She hadn't forgotten how it had felt to have him pressed up against her...touching her...hips lips brushing hers....

But that had been earlier. And right now Blake's had other things to worry about.

Other things that now sat in her lap....

"You hungry?" she asked the little girl in a gentle tone, as the toddler peered up at her once more, making sure Negan had gone.

She nodded shyly, pressing her little fingers to her mouth, as Blake smiled.

"Come on then," she said heaving her up once more and jumping down from the cab. "Let's get you some food then shall we?"

Negan and the other Saviours, including Simon now, were lingering nearby, but Blake knew where she wanted to go.

"I'm gonna take her down to the canteen," she explained, walking towards them, as the little girl in her arms looked about curiously. "But she'll be needing some new clothes. These ones are wet through."

She ran her hand underneath the toddler's soggy butt. The teeny girl had obviously been in that shaft for so long that she had wet herself. But Blake knew she could not blame her for that.

But at her words, Negan rolled his eyes in her direction, almost immediately.

He took a deep breath in, looking slightly irritable.

"Fiiiine," he huffed, suddenly turning to Dwight who had appeared nearby and was helping to unload various weapons from the back of one of the trucks. "D, you wanna go fetch the kid somethin' to wear."