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

Picnic

It had turned into a warm, hazy day, and Blake and Mia had spent the rest of the morning, and early afternoon, lounging beneath a tree in a small, shady, grassy part of the Sanctuary.

The area was small and surrounded by trucks and vans all parked up around them, but that was a small price to pay to get away from the sight of walkers leering and starling at the fences nearby.

Blake had grabbed a few food items from the marketplace, as well as a large tartan blanket, and both she and Mia had come out here, for a sort of makeshift picnic.

So far Mia had enjoyed playing with the grass, running around barefoot....never straying far from Blake's sight the entire time.

The little girl was so precious, Blake could barely take her eyes off her...waddling about...nibbling on a few grapes and picking at blades of grass.

She was pretty much the child Blake had always dreamed of having. And now maybe....if Mia stayed with them, this was the kind of life the pair of them could have together....

Ok, this world was crappy and terrible sometimes...but here in the Sanctuary...with Negan and the Saviours watching over them....maybe they could be safe...maybe they could both find happiness.

Blake, sitting cross-legged beneath the tree, tilted her head and smiled down at Mia, as the tiny girl bent down on her chubby legs and picked a small, unopened daisy.

Mia hurriedly turned back around and ran to Blake.

"It flawer!" she said with a small squeal, holding the daisy out towards the caramel-blonde woman, and clambering awkwardly onto her lap.

Blake beamed and pushed the little girl's hair back from her face.

"It's very pretty," she said in a kindly voice, as Mia pushed the flower into Blake's hand, wrapping her free paw around Blake's neck and sitting down with a whump.

The toddler gazed out across the dry, dusty lot and leaned back into Blake.

"I shtay 'ere naw?" she asked in a small voice, after a moment or two, as Blake wrapped her arms around the little girl gently and rested her chin top of her teeny head.

She gave a small sigh.

Maybe this was all how it was supposed to be...maybe finding Mia....well, maybe that had always meant to happen.

After David...maybe the universe was trying to make up for all themonths of anguish and torment Blake had gone through.

For the first time in a long time, Blake felt truly happy....not only did she have Mia...but she had Negan too...

"Yes, you can stay here with us," Blake hummed into Mia's hair...looking up to see the man himself strolling across the lot towards them.

Her stomach automatically lurched when she saw him.

Granted, Negan was older than she was....Blake only just having reached thirty and Negan in his late forties, but regardless, he was no less attractive to her....with his dark hair, salt and pepper beard...tanned skin...and that smile....

That smile, that made her feel like a naughty little girl, every time he threw it her way.

Blake bit her lip and gazed up at him as he approached, wearing that same old leather jacket of his, shrugged over a white t-shirt, with Lucille swinging gently from his hand as he went.

But there was something different about him now...a look on his face that hadn't been there just a few hours earlier back in her room....

A frown line shifted itself between her brows for a moment....studying him carefully....