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

A single bullet

Negan woke early the next morning, the warm morning sun seeping in through the partially drawn drapes on the far side of his expansive bedroom.

He gave a grizzled groan, dragging a hand down his long, stubbly face, before gazing to his side, at the two girls lying beside him.

Fuck, they were gorgeous.

With Mia on her back, turned in towards Blake, her hands balled into fists at her side. And the caramel-blonde woman beside her, still in his tshirt, looking like a picture of utter fucking perfection, one arm thrown lovingly over her stomach.

Right now, here in the pale morning light, Negan felt like the luckiest fucking guy in this entire damn world.

He had Peaches, and the kid, and soon, there would be a third person for him to pour his heart and fucking soul into.

A baby.

His fucking baby.

He gazed now down at Blake's abdomen, hidden by the baggy shirt, almost feeling like he coould picture the tiny thing growing inside of her.

Negan had never in a million fucking years thought he would have all this.

After Lucille passed away, he spent years grieving and mourning her in the most stupid ways. Taking out his anger and pent up frustration on those around him.

Until SHE had come along, Blake, pulling him back from all that darkness.....his shining light.

He wondered what Lucille would have made of all this?

Him with a baby on the way.

He hoped now that she would be happy for him now...wanting him to have a future. She had told him that back in that hospital bed in those last few days, whilst he had wept and shaken his head, holding onto her hand tightly.

And Negan never thought her wishes would come true. For he always expected to be alone, even with the wives and the workers and the loyal lieutenants he had collected along the way, he had still felt it, that gaping loneliness.

But not with her. Not with Blake.

The moment she had walked into his life...smart-mouthed the hell out of him....bowled him over.

Even back then he had thought she was far too good for him. Negan had twenty years on her. He wasn't college educated, nor would have frequented the same damn places as she obviously had.

But at the same time, it was as though they were made for each other, every curve of her body fit perfectly with his.....every word she uttered making him smile.

Like two damn broken pieces of one whole.

He smiled affectionately over at them both now, before easing himself from the mattress and padding naked over to the bathroom.

In ten minutes he was showered and heading out of the door, fully dressed, grasping up Lucille from a table near to the door.

He turned the door handle quietly, being careful not to disturb the sleeping pair behind him, before heading out into the cool hallway, closing the door behind him with a gentle snap.

It had been a while since he had done a proper check on how things were running around here, distracted by his girls. But being up so early was good and would give him a chance to get on top of things again.

And so, whistling a familiar tune, Negan propped Lucille up onto his shoulder and strolled down the corridor, free hand stuffed into the pocket of his grey jeans.